Our second entry in following up from our article 10 shows to be excited about in 2018, comes from FX and is the second instalment in the bafflingly brilliant American Crime Story franchise. For those familiar with history of this show, it began with a dramatic retelling of the ‘trial of the century’, where former NFL football star O.J. Simpson successfully assembled a legal dream team, and was found innocent of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
I’ve used the word baffling to describe the success of that show, because at first look it had the potential to be a bit of a joke. Having David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian and John Travolta as Robert Shapiro threatened to make the show about who was going to overact the most. Fortunately the intriguing and disputed backstory of the tactics behind the Simpson defence, lead by Courtney B. Vance as the larger than life Johnnie Cochran, and an outstanding performance by Sarah Paulsen as Marcia Clark meant the show was a must not miss.
Happily, although the show has lost original creators Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski for the its second time stepping up to the plate, FX has commissioned three more offerings wearing the American Crime Story banner. First up is the story of the slaying of possibly the most famous name in the history of the fashion industry; The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
As we speak the show is currently three episodes old, with our lead cast being Edgar Ramirez (Gianni Versace), Darren Criss (Andrew Cunanan), Ricky Martin (Antonio D’Amico) and Penelope Cruz (Donatella Versace). The worrying name in there was Ricky Martin, more known for Latino dance numbers rather than acting, but as stated previously that quick judgement was what the first run defied massively.
The first thing that strikes visually is the feast of colour and glamour on show. The richness and vibrancy of real life Miami Beach of the late nineties is captured fantastically well. Versace glides from room to room in his mansion as if he is a Roman god, which by all accounts is how he was considered in those times by many.
The show deals with his murder in the very first episode, and makes it clear they are going to rely on flashbacks to tell the whole story of how we got here. On paper it was odds on that this would be how the story was retold, but it would have been interesting to see how they would have flipped the narrative to build massive suspense towards the end of the season.
In real life, the fact that Cunanan was never captured alive means we will never likely know his true motivations for killing a man he apparently didn’t know, along with several other victims. The show this time however is going to give him that motivation, with a massive warning that there are no facts to back up what they are showing on screen.
As shown through his interactions with Gianni and another murder victim, real estate mogul Lee Miglin (Mike Farrell), Cunanan is portayed as a male escort for hire and specifically targets both men in order to kill them. Cunanan is shown to be a cold hearted killer, who seems proud of what he has achieved on his murderous spree. His confidence is such that he isn’t ever shown making concerted efforts to hide his identity or cover his tracks. The source material captures this sentiment brilliantly in its title, with the book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U. S. History by Maureen Orth providing much of the inspiration for what we see.
How such a trail of destruction could be left by a man and yet he was never caught is astounding when considering the odds Cunanan was up against, and this is why using stories derived from such gigantic real life events can on many occasions provide more entertaining narratives than ones originating from paper alone.
In terms of the acting on show the undoubted star is Darren Criss. He holds the show effortlessly on his shoulders for masses of time, and in amongst more established names that type of talent is to be commended. Ricky Martin clearly isn’t anywhere near a finished article in this department, but his performance doesn’t detract from the rest, which is perhaps the best that could have been hoped for from the outset. However, he does give one of the most striking images early on as the sight of him covered in the blood of his fallen partner is one that’s hard to wash away from your mind.
Whilst embellishing the truth at times is essential for retelling a story, especially early on it does feel like Gianni is being reimagined as a Caligula type character, with money and sex lavished around him as he walks from room to room in his mansion. You will also require a strong stomach at times, as the graphic nature that goes hand in hand with a tale like this is not shied away from at any stage. Particular hard viewing comes in the form of the brutal killing of Miglin, so take this as a warning for those not at that stage yet.
Cruz as grieving sister Donatella gives the show a wow factor in terms of an established Hollywood name, and she looks right at home with the vibrant glamour etched on the screen. One story thread yet to be expanded upon further is how they deal with holding together the massive Versace empire now that its own Emperor has been killed. Definitely something to look forward to in the coming weeks.
In distancing itself to an extent from the first season preceding it, Versace has crafted its own double-edged sword. The point of difference by trying to explain the motivation of the monster Cunanan is to be praised, and it is what will give the story real focus as we head to the mid-way point and beyond. However, by spending much more time on the murders and less on the backstory of the case, they have at the same time moved it away from the main thing that made The People vs O.J. Simpson so majestic to watch. Whether this approach works off in the end is a difficult thing to predict, but it rules out massive comparisons with its predecessor unless a monumental shift in tone is on the horizon.
All in all more positives than negatives here without question, and as we have already witnessed three of Cunanan’s victims, hopefully the last ones, including himself, will be watched more with intrigue rather than frustration.
Authentic Versace or counterfeit handbags?: American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace | Home | Have You Watched
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