This one was OK though beware if your not prepared to give it some considerable latitude in how it's laid out.
As clearly stated in the opening credits, 'it's based on the BOOK "Damage" by Josephine Hart" and NOT the movie 'Damage' which was ALSO based on the book by Josephine Hart. So the people with reviews stating this is some kind of rip-off, as though someone tainted their claim to rights on entertainment propriety need to get a grip.
That said, I liked this one enough to watch all four episodes and though the adaptation needed strengthening in quite a few places, it was certainly entertaining enough to watch... if you could get past the shortcomings.
There is a lot of good production here. The leading cast is great, the sex scenes are powerful and... enticing, script is pretty good. Direction is a little wanting in places and well, the screenplay... read on.
I have read a few reviews from people who hated it, found it unpalatable or just plain ludicrous, and I totally get it. It's difficult to get past the context of a Father cheating with the girlfriend or fiancé of his son, and given the environment, setting, and circumstance portrayed here, I don't believe the series pulls this off with anything near the degree of acceptability required for this to work.
The Girlfriend Anna played by Charlie Murphy, isn't captivating, gorgeous or beautiful. She's nice, yes, even sexy, but not stunning by any measure. She doesn't seem to be particularly alluring, and if getting William - the father played by Richard Armitage, to put an olive in her mouth on the first meeting is her 'playbook' she has some serious shortcomings as a temptress. In fact there is very little to her character other than this over exaggerated allure. Why this leaves William so spellbound is a bit of a mystery, and is somewhat problematic since given his portfolio has to have had some familiarity with 'female availability.
She has no intellectual or conversational qualities to speak of, no loveable quirks or qualities, nor does she seem to display any favourable characteristics beside those of a sexual nature. Actually they don't really do much outside love-making at all. Their conversational history reads like a recipe for a quickie after an online encounter... every time. There is nothing to their conversation outside their sexually driven connection.
He, on the other hand is an esteemed surgeon with a wife who even at twenty years the senior of the girlfriend, is arguably more physically emotionally and intellectually appealing. William meanwhile, acts like an adolescent schoolboy with a girl crush for most of the series. He's a fit, good looking, very accomplished wealthy man, and given the prestige and sex appeal that tend to accompany such individuals, it's hard to fathom the level of ineptitude and emotional immaturity he displays. It's difficult to get past these character shortcomings given the circumstances of the whole series revolves around his sexual and emotional entrapment.
A lot of foolish things happen here, and it's more or less ok since you can generally get away with this in a drama, but you need a firm footing on which to stand if you're going to start shaking the scaffolding, and here it's put together with bubble gum and sticky tape.
Charlie Murphy does a great job with the material, but her character is the very epitome of one-dimensional... and in truth all the characters are. There is no chemistry or depth between any of the characters at all. William and his wife, the children to the parents, every relationships seems superficial, so it's difficult to grasp anything more than the flimsy narrative we're given as foundation.
I actually laughed out loud a couple of times with the ridiculousness of what unfolded, but ultimately it's not terrible. It's more like a badly written romance novel that you expectedly have to fill in the gaps for. If you can do that, you'll be fine. For the more discerning amongst you, give it a miss as you'll probably hate it.
I think the real problem with this one is it is too short. I'm inclined to think much of the substance that acted like good filler in the cracks had to be left out from overrunning, and this is the result. It doesn't stand well as is and should have been another two episodes in length to work properly. That's an educated guess, because they've done too good a job with the good aspects to be that incompetent with the issues I've highlighted.
As clearly stated in the opening credits, 'it's based on the BOOK "Damage" by Josephine Hart" and NOT the movie 'Damage' which was ALSO based on the book by Josephine Hart. So the people with reviews stating this is some kind of rip-off, as though someone tainted their claim to rights on entertainment propriety need to get a grip.
That said, I liked this one enough to watch all four episodes and though the adaptation needed strengthening in quite a few places, it was certainly entertaining enough to watch... if you could get past the shortcomings.
There is a lot of good production here. The leading cast is great, the sex scenes are powerful and... enticing, script is pretty good. Direction is a little wanting in places and well, the screenplay... read on.
I have read a few reviews from people who hated it, found it unpalatable or just plain ludicrous, and I totally get it. It's difficult to get past the context of a Father cheating with the girlfriend or fiancé of his son, and given the environment, setting, and circumstance portrayed here, I don't believe the series pulls this off with anything near the degree of acceptability required for this to work.
The Girlfriend Anna played by Charlie Murphy, isn't captivating, gorgeous or beautiful. She's nice, yes, even sexy, but not stunning by any measure. She doesn't seem to be particularly alluring, and if getting William - the father played by Richard Armitage, to put an olive in her mouth on the first meeting is her 'playbook' she has some serious shortcomings as a temptress. In fact there is very little to her character other than this over exaggerated allure. Why this leaves William so spellbound is a bit of a mystery, and is somewhat problematic since given his portfolio has to have had some familiarity with 'female availability.
She has no intellectual or conversational qualities to speak of, no loveable quirks or qualities, nor does she seem to display any favourable characteristics beside those of a sexual nature. Actually they don't really do much outside love-making at all. Their conversational history reads like a recipe for a quickie after an online encounter... every time. There is nothing to their conversation outside their sexually driven connection.
He, on the other hand is an esteemed surgeon with a wife who even at twenty years the senior of the girlfriend, is arguably more physically emotionally and intellectually appealing. William meanwhile, acts like an adolescent schoolboy with a girl crush for most of the series. He's a fit, good looking, very accomplished wealthy man, and given the prestige and sex appeal that tend to accompany such individuals, it's hard to fathom the level of ineptitude and emotional immaturity he displays. It's difficult to get past these character shortcomings given the circumstances of the whole series revolves around his sexual and emotional entrapment.
A lot of foolish things happen here, and it's more or less ok since you can generally get away with this in a drama, but you need a firm footing on which to stand if you're going to start shaking the scaffolding, and here it's put together with bubble gum and sticky tape.
Charlie Murphy does a great job with the material, but her character is the very epitome of one-dimensional... and in truth all the characters are. There is no chemistry or depth between any of the characters at all. William and his wife, the children to the parents, every relationships seems superficial, so it's difficult to grasp anything more than the flimsy narrative we're given as foundation.
I actually laughed out loud a couple of times with the ridiculousness of what unfolded, but ultimately it's not terrible. It's more like a badly written romance novel that you expectedly have to fill in the gaps for. If you can do that, you'll be fine. For the more discerning amongst you, give it a miss as you'll probably hate it.
I think the real problem with this one is it is too short. I'm inclined to think much of the substance that acted like good filler in the cracks had to be left out from overrunning, and this is the result. It doesn't stand well as is and should have been another two episodes in length to work properly. That's an educated guess, because they've done too good a job with the good aspects to be that incompetent with the issues I've highlighted.