bterrik
bterrik OP t1_itddsv5 wrote
Reply to comment by Dangerous_West7073 in Anyone else want to talk about Upright? by bterrik
Yeah, that's the one. First of all, I was interested in the premise. I'm somewhat of an adventure/travel buff so the idea of a road trip across the Australian desert piqued my interest. The two feature characters at the outset are total polar opposites - an older, world weary guy trying to get home to see his mom who has cancer alongside a rebellious, amusingly sweary teenage girl. Though I admit the concept would probably have worn on me if it wasn't played so well by the two actors, Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock.
Milly's Meg is outlandish, bold-beyond-reason, and even borderline annoying at first, but as you get to know her and learn more about why she is where she is, you can't help but feeling connected to the character. Maybe I'm a soft touch, but Milly's performance absolutely had me tearing up multiple times, especially during the back half of the season. She just can make you laugh, and roll your eyes, and cry all within the same scene.
Tim's Lucky is also outstanding. He's world-worn and anxious at the start and is dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, but it's the kind of stuff that's easy to connect to and it doesn't really weigh down his character. He's not a downer. And his journey is kind of the driving force behind the story, and you really do come to understand him as more and more of his background is revealed throughout the series.
Tim and Milly (and their respective characters) are perfect foils for one another and it's really their combined performance that makes Upright such an enjoyable watch. And the conclusion to his story was just - to me - so absolutely satisfying.
And then you can throw on some amazing landscapes and cinematography, oddball secondary characters, great heart, and the charm (as an international viewer) of the Australian slang - and insults - and to me it just really worked.
bterrik OP t1_itchali wrote
Reply to comment by EntireComedian in Anyone else want to talk about Upright? by bterrik
Right? It was so good. Funny and sad and bombastic and relatable all in one. Performances from the mains were fantastic.
bterrik OP t1_itch4y1 wrote
Reply to comment by new_handle in Anyone else want to talk about Upright? by bterrik
Very interested! It seems like (though we got lots of development on both characters) S1 was Lucky's mission driving the story and this time it'll be Meg's turn.
Enjoyed that trailer very much. I laughed at the beginning where Lucky's all like, "You can't show up four years later and expect me to get on a plane with you," and Meg just raises an eyebrow and off they go.
Tim Minchin has a history of creating stuff that's funny and sad - often at the same time - and I'm sure they'll be plenty of rollercoasters for us as the audience.
bterrik OP t1_itcgljx wrote
Reply to comment by RunTillYouPuke in Anyone else want to talk about Upright? by bterrik
Yes, the whole last episode was great. Tim's emotion during that scene just brought it home.
Very excited for season 2 as well. I can't wait to see where the two characters are after four years.
Submitted by bterrik t3_yagke6 in television
bterrik OP t1_itdhfk7 wrote
Reply to comment by actuallyidontknow in Anyone else want to talk about Upright? by bterrik
Yeah, it did take a few to really latch on. But at some point around 2/3/4 all of a sudden I knew I'd watch the whole thing in one go. Like a four hour movie.
And yeah, I would imagine early season Meg was a riot to play. All the cussing and boldness and just dropping little hints of vulnerability and damage. And then >!when you get the suicide reveal!< and all that plays out of that, it becomes clear that Meg was wearing that persona as armor and she flips a switch and your heart just breaks for her.