L'affaire Menendez: Law & Order True Crime

This mini-series held my attention throughout with great acting and a solid story untill the final episode. Why the 2 boys lawyers did not simply put all their effort into an appeal that they would obviously get because of the numerous errors made by the judge goes beyond any rational thinking.

Just nothing else to say....the errors by the Judge are blatant!

I was so affected by the series. I can't say anything good about cinematography but story line is main point. It's just great. Edie Falco god, what an actress! She literally lived her role. I'm really impressed. And I pitied The Menendez Brothers. I wanted them to be free on my couch by yelling, "Release them!" This show made me do that. And I began to research The Menendez Brothers. This show needs to get 2nd season approval. And another crime needs to be showed.

Although I was interested in this series based on a general enjoyment of true crime and knowing that Edie Falco was the lead, I put it off for a while because I didn't think I would enjoy a story that was so high-profile at the time. I felt that I already knew the story and the ending, so it just wouldn't keep my attention as much as watching a story that could keep me guessing. Luckily, I was wrong! The Law and Order Series, from what I remember when I watched it way back when, shines because of its ability to take the viewer, introduce tough subject matter, and let them see what it is like in the shoes of someone much different than them. Many times, you end the episode with an ambiguity about a subject that you didn't have before, simply because it lets you see the circumstances and emotions behind the people involved, where as before you began, it was more of a black or white subject. It can only do this with good writing, acting and directing, of course, and L&O: True Crime has it all. i had to take a deep breath every time they rolled the credits on the end of another episode. It's one of those shows where you start to feel so much for the characters that you want to step into the screen and give them a hug or shout at them. I loved it and I hope the next one is just as good.

I can tell research is rigorously executed. The director focuses on the story of what happened in the courtroom rather than hocus-pocus information that the media bombarded with. His effort to find out truer version of the crime is commendable. The narrative is well-organized in chronological order with appropriate amount of flashback.

On the other hand, Edie Falco's performance is disappointing. Her particular pronunciation (somewhat sounding like lisp) and facial expression (such as opening her eyes extremely big with too much white exposed) stop me from getting into the show every time and are repeated too many times. I will be harsh but honest. She lacks many qualities to be a leading actress.

There are some really good docs-dramas out there. The People vs OJ (2016) is one, and Manhunt: Unibomber (2017) is another. The British also make these types of programs, Appropriate Adult (2011) comes to mind. I've seen other movies that cast doubt on the ultimate trial outcomes, and it is these that this production resembles. A recent example of this type of filmmaking would be the brilliant Escape At Dannemora (2018), which questioned the sentence of one of the two escapees, and his further punishment after capture. In style Law & Order True Crime resembles The People vs OJ, yet the bias is definitely on the side of the defendants, enough so that after writing this review I'll look up what happened to the case in recent years. Law & Order shows were always highly charged and topical, and executed with high standards. This is a brilliant addition to their legacy, with full marks to the writers. It's full of suspense and worthy performances, great casting and good camera direction. At eight episodes it was possibly a tad too long, although one could argue the defence was such a burning issue it could perhaps have been longer. I'm full of questions. Great television from America.