TOP OF THE LAKE CHINA GIRL
Australia, 2017, 6X 60 minutes, Colour.
Elisabeth Moss, Nicole Kidman, Ewen Leslie, Gwendolyn Christie, Clayton Jacobson, Alice Englert, David Dencik, Kym Gyngell, David Wenham, Lincoln Vickery, Geoff Morrell, Marg Downey.
Directed by Jane Campion, Ariel Klieman.
In 2013 Jane Campion had a significant success with a six part series for television, Top of the Lake. It was cowritten with Gerard Lee with whom she had collaborated in the 1990s on such films as Sweetie. Direction on the first series was shared with Garth Davis who went on to make Liond and Mary Magdalene. This time she collaborates with young Melbourne director Ariel Klieman who had made several shorts and then the Balkan story, Partisan.
The first series was set in New Zealand and there are some moments when the action of this series returns there, taking up the story of the girl who disappeared when pregnant, was rescued and saved. There are allusions to the landowning family which caused so much of the tension in the first series and a re-capping of the character of the detective played by David Wenham.
However, this series is set in Sydney. Elisabeth Moss has returned as the detective, recovering from her time in New Zealand, the death of her mother, relationships, the tension in the search for the girl and the revelation that the exploitative ring in the town was headed by the detective – who comes to Sydney and has a violent confrontation with her.
The focus this time is on illegal immigrants and sex slavery. The series opens with the death of a young woman and her being thrown over the cliff at Watsons Bay and the trunk eventually washed onto Bondi Beach. While Elisabeth Moss is once again involved in detection, there are difficulties with her boss, Clayton Jacobson, and the police officer assigned to work with her (Gwendolyn Christie from Game of Thrones and Star Wars).
Also from the first series, there is the issue of Elisabeth Moss’s daughter who had been adopted out to a Sydney couple. The daughter is played, with great petulance at times, by Jane Campion’s daughter, Alice Englert. Her parents are played by Nicole Kidman and Ewan Leslie, devoted to their daughter but separated and the mother involved in a lesbian relationship with Marg Downey.
There are complications with the murder of the Asian girl and research into the brothel where she worked, the revelation that the women were being hired as surrogate mothers for Australian couples. And this is the case with the detective played by Clayton Jacobson.
Also involved in the case is a Scandinavian man, David Dencik, highly suspicious, who is in a sexual relationship with the daughter who is devoted to him and cannot see his evil, even willing to be a prostitute for his sake. There are clashes with the detective as well as with the parents. There is also a young man who visited the brothel and was devoted to the murdered girl and who wants some kind of revenge.
As with the original series which looked at the underbelly of New Zealand society, this series also looks at aspects of the underbelly of Australian society.
1. The impact of the original series? The value of this sequel? Continuity? Transition from New Zealand to Australia?
2. The miniseries format, the episodes? The contribution of Jane Campion? Ariel Klieman as director? The strong cast?
3. The Sydney settings, the harbour, the familiar sights? The suburbs, affluent, poorer? The brothel and its area? Police precincts? The musical score?
4. The crime story, deaths, the sexual dimensions, psychological dimensions, violence?
5. A police investigation? Detection? The role of the police, interrogations, clues? Tensions amongst the police? Partnerships? Men and women and derogatory attitudes?
6. Robin, Elizabeth Moss, her past, the effect on her? Her detection skills? Arrival, being disliked? Adrian as the boss, discussions with her, critical, his making demands? Robin, the work and her intensity?
7. Robin’s story, the flashbacks to the past, the after-effect of the New Zealand experience? Johnno and his relationships, preparation for the wedding, the dress, calling it off? With her friends in New Zealand, memories of the past, Tui? Her leaving? Coming to Sydney? The quest for her daughter, Mary writing at age 12, Robin not replying? The effect of being in Sydney, making contact, following Mary, the consequences?
8. Parker, his role in the past, the physical attack and his injuries? Civil cases? His coming to Sydney, injured, confronting Robin, standing up to her, literally, attacking her?
9. Adrian, the chief, his wife, relationship with Miranda? The panda and his taking it to the brothel? Work, communication with the other officers? The issue of surrogacy?
10. The death of the young woman in the brothel, the manager and her assistant, case, taking it to the cliff, its sinking, surfacing, on Bondi beach, the mystery of the identity?
11. The China girl, the coroner, the autopsy? Her pregnancy? Flashbacks, her work in the brothel? The issues of surrogacy and the brothel girls? Brett and his visits, relationship with her?
12. The issues of surrogacy, the law in New South Wales, Adrien and Miranda and surrogacy? Miranda and her pretence, the caution? The visiting of the centre, the pressure on the receptionist, the later questions and her death? The doctors, the discussions, the contacts? Couples, agreements, payments? The interviews? The couples and the discussions, photos, identifying the dead girl? Emotional situations?
13. The men and their discussions at lunchtime, computers and sex sites, the brothels and discussion, macho attitudes, Brett and the discussions the about coins, his quiet at the table, at home, his mother, on his computer, going to the brothel, the relationship with Cinnamon? Uncovering the mystery, the visits? His lies about his guns? The rampage and the brothel, killing the manager and assistant? Hiding on the beach, the box, with the gun, erupting, wounding Miranda?
14. Mary’s story, the adoption, her age, knowing the truth, writing to Robin at age 12, no reply? Her relationship with her parents, age, still at school, the relationship with Puss? Moving from school to the brothel, change of clothes? Helping the women? Knowing the truth?
15. Mary at home, alienation from her parents, their separation, her mother and the lesbian relationship with Isadore, Isadore present in the house? Isadore and her New Age attitudes and language? Mother and father as characters, the collapse of the relationship, yet their devotion to Mary? Trying to deal with Mary, her mother and the hard stances, her father more modified? Mary, her defiance, in her room, wanting privacy, school to the brothel, the birthday of the party? Turning up and not turning up, the school dance and going with her father, Push arriving and her leaving?
16. Mary and her reaction to Robin, the discussions? Robin following, meeting, the connections, the help? Mary relying on her? Contacting her instead of her mother? Staying with her? Robin, the discussions with Mary’s father, the sexual relationship? Robin and her interactions with Puss? Disliking him?
17. Puss, Europe, German background, discussing his degrees, philosophy? Arrogant and surly? As a character, working the brothel, helping the women? Language? Making the video? The women, the surrogacy issue? Visiting Mary’s parents, his behaviour at the table, her mother and the clash, defying him? The later meetings and the defiance by Mary’s father? Audience suspicions of him? The police, Robin’s confrontations, decision to leave, the passports, the airport, going with the women? His not being responsible for the deaths, the knowing about them? Mary at the airport, Robin, her disillusionment and regrets?
18. Miranda, with the police, her role, Robin’s assistant, resenting this? The relationship with Adrian? Getting Robin the flat? The issue of smoking? The issue of her pregnancy, the visit to the surrogacy centre? Criticisms of Robin, the verbal clashes? The gradual bonding, frankness, talking? Wounded by Brett? The truth about Adrian?
19. The cumulative effect of the series, the focus on crime and investigation, sex slavery and surrogacy, ordinary couples and their involvement, murders, cover-ups, families and tension, adoption?
