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Direction: Alfonso Cuarón
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hen Academy Award-winning director Alfonso Cuarón pitched Disclai-mer to Cate Blanchett, she found the character she was supposed to play absolutely des-picable. After reading half the script, she almost said no to the role. But, as an actor who takes on challenging roles such as Lydia Tar from Tar, she eventually said yes.
Cate Blanchett also revealed during a promotional interview that Alfonso Cuarón had never pitched Disclaimer as a limited series. He told her it was a seven-part film. Cuarón was telling the truth. Disclaimer is not your average limited series with an A-list Hollywood actor. It’s a film told in seven parts, where every episode reveals the that there is no character who is purely good or bad. What makes the series so powerful is the truth behind every character and why they behaved the way they did.
The story begins with Catherine Ravenscroft (Cate Blanchett), an award-winning journalist, whose life unravels when she find a mysterious novel on her doorstep. It is a book mirroring events from her buried past.
Stephen Brigstocke (Kevin Kline) is the other half of the series. An angry and sad man, he’s the author of the novel that arrives at Ravenscroft’s doorstep. His life’s mission is to tear down Catherine’s world, regardless of the consequences, unraveling his own world along with hers.
Disclaimer is a tight, mind-twisting chase where you can’t decide which character is telling the truth. Without knowing the complete truth, you’re left wondering about each char-acter’s redeeming qualities. It’s a duel, and you’re on the edge of your seat.
The friction between Catherine’s personal anecdotes and the brutal truths she confronts feels like a tug-of-war. Is the truth what we think it is, or will it change by the last episode?
Some moments teeter on the edge of overkill. There’s this bizarre energy between every character, particularly Stephen Brigstocke and Catherine Ravenscroft, two individuals who despise each other but can’t stay away from the tragic wreckage they have caused and the inextricable link they share.
Disclaimer is worth watching for several reasons, including and especially the performances.
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal is a masterclass in acting. She’s polished, manipulative, and always three steps ahead. Who is she, and why do we care about what happens to her? It is to Blanchett’s credit that she takes this strange character and makes her accessible.
Kevin Kline is equally terrific, balancing smoldering anger and a bruised heart.
The supporting cast is just as impressive.
Sasha Baron Cohen, who essays Robert, Catherine’s husband, surprises with his measured and understated performance. Leila George, who plays young Catherine, really adds layers to this character. You can really feel for her as a woman who couldn’t quite shake off the weight of her choices.
Apart from the performances, there is the mood of the series. It is drowing in tension. It marinates in it, letting discomfort seep into every frame. The two collaborative cine-matographers, Bruno Delbonnel (The Woman in the Window, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and Emmanuel Lubezki (three-time consecutive Oscar winner for The Revenant, Birdman, Gravity), make Disclaimer a visual spectacle. The camera work deserves praise—each shot is soaked in dark colors, like the whole show is lit by one candle.
Disclaimer isn’t perfect. The story drag at times. Old scenes pop up a lot, hinting at big reveals but seldom giving quick rewards. Catherine occasionally sits in elaborately decorated rooms, almost as if out of an architectural design magazine, brooding or engaging in seemingly pointless conversations. Instead of seven episodes, it would’ve been a perfect series if it had six episodes.
The season finale, though, is the main shocker. Based on how much vagueness you can take, you may be in awe of its bold move and might end up searching “Disclaimer ending explained,” but to do so would kill the joy of its effect.
In the end, Disclaimer is not whodunnit murder mystery. It is about truth and the narrative around it. What is the price you pay when the truth is mangled, painful, and so disturbing that you can’t bring yourself to reveal it? Truth can be stranger than fiction, and Disclaimer makes you realise that this statement can be true in certain cases. Don’t miss this series.
