I fully expected not to like Dickinson, Alena Smith’s ultra-modern and ultra-anachronistic and ultra-loose “telling” of Emily Dickinson’s life and times; the clash between contemporary speech and period setting does not typically sit well with me*. But my years working as a critic has taught me to expect the unexpected, because man, I love this show.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. Hailee Steinfeld, in my opinion, doesn’t get enough credit for her full-scale goofball energy; Dickinson lets her tap into that reserve of silliness and balance it with the dramatic gifts she established immediately on her starring role in the Coen brothers’ True Grit remake. She’s truly fantastic here. But so’s the rest of the cast, and frankly I think Smith uses that anachronism with purposeful effect, so…yeah, the whole thing works for me.
You can read my full review over at The Playlist.
*Better proof of my decrepit age than my creaky knees.
A Constant Visual Feast 