I believe that for a woman, a dress is a weapon to get what she wants.” So declared Donatella Versace with a power-pout and a toss of her peroxide mane. Sadly, it wasn’t sartorial weapons she needed.
Last night, we reached the seventh episode of the high-camp docudrama The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (BBC Two), which continues to chart the events that led to the 1997 shooting of Italian designer Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramírez) on the doorstep of his Miami mansion.
In 1992, Versace was diagnosed with a rare form of ear cancer, forcing younger sister Donatella (Penélope Cruz) to take the fashion house’s reins. Almost literally so – a leather-strapped bondage dress became the siblings’ first collaboration. Meanwhile in San Diego, delusional sociopath and budding serial killer Andrew Cunanan (creepy Darren Criss, who, along with Cruz, is the star of this show) conned his way into a lavish new life by targeting wealthy older men.
The first of his targets, architect Lincoln Aston (Todd Waring), ended up savagely beaten to death – a shock scene of gore amid the gloss. The second, silver fox businessman Norman Blachford (Michael Nouri), allowed Cunanan to move into his minimalist mansion. “Oh, if only they could see me now,” murmured Cunanan, taking in the ocean view from a vast glass balcony. “Who?” asked Blachford. “Everyone,” came Cunanan’s chilling reply.
Written by British export Tom Rob Smith, this was a souped-up soap opera, dripping in gaudy bling and unfolding in designer beige interiors. All gilt mirrors, baroque chairs and creamy soft furnishings, it’s styled like a luxury hotel lobby and rollicks along like an afternoon true-crime movie, albeit a well-appointed one. You half-expect Columbo, Murder She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher or Hart to Hart’s millionaire spouses to turn up and solve the impending murder.
There are two episodes of the nine-part series still to come, but thus far a convoluted flashback structure has prevented it from hitting the heights of its predecessor, The People vs OJ Simpson. While the time-hopping approach might fill in the background and motivation, it hardly adds much in the way of forward momentum. The hypnotic horror we saw earlier in the series – episodes three to five were masterful, the next two less so – has given way to middling drama. As a guilty pleasure, though, it’s grim, fascinating and just gripping enough.
Darren Criss, Andy Cohen, Ricky Martin and Milo Ventimiglia at WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN – FYC Event at The Wiltern Theatre on April 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
The lies continue to slip off Andrew Cunanan’s tongue. He changes his surname, his parentage, his racial identity, his education, his occupation and even his interests more frequently than his socks. He even utilises other people’s memories if he feels it would impress or endear him to someone.
But if you’re wondering why so many apparently intelligent people fell for his fantasies, this episode explains it a little. We see how he cleverly targeted Norman Blachford (who survived Andrew’s killing spree) and how he dazzled David Madson (who did not) with his apparently glamorous lifestyle. Darren Criss is equally dazzling as Cunanan.
As we noted earlier this year, Aimee Mann—like the members of the Cars, a onetime Bostonian—turned in an arrestingly spare version of “Drive” for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, giving the song a poignancy and directness only suggested by the original.
The music gods are off to a good start for 2018. Aimee Mann wins a Grammy. The Cars get voted into the Rock Hall of Fame. And, combining the two, Mann has covered one of the Cars’ biggest hits: “Drive.”
The Cars recorded “Drive” for 1984’s Heartbeat City, the Mutt Lange-produced album that marked the height of the band’s commercial success. “Drive” is a beautiful soft-rock ballad that was accompanied by a heavy rotation MTV video. Remember Paulina Porizkova crying while marking on the wall?
Mann recorded her cover for the television series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (she also appears in an episode performing “Drive” in a bar). Mann has covered other songs before for tributes or a movie, and most of those efforts only get traction with her loyal fan base. Her take on Three Dog Night’s “One” (a cover of a cover) has broken out wider; she still performs it often on tour.
So what would you expect from a singer-songwriter that covers a dreamy synth song from the 1980s? An acoustic guitar ballad? Ding, ding, ding. Aimee’s stripped-down playing and her unique voice accentuate the melancholy in “Drive.” This simple music plays to Aimee’s strength, and she does not disappoint. The Cars’ original version holds up today 34 years later, so there is a slim chance of improving this classic with a poppy overproduced version; thankfully she went in a different direction.
Give Aimee Mann’s acoustic cover of “Drive” a listen and sing along like you just lost your true love at the school dance.
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