Critical Condition: Mosaic

Mosaic | SoHo, 8.30 Friday

➢ “Populated by series like Broadchurch, Happy Valley, Top of the Lake and various versions of The Bridge, a TV subgenre has flourished in recent years: It depicts the aftermath of a serious crime in a relatively enclosed community. It’s a niche that the Steven Soderbergh-directed Mosaic fits into comfortably; the HBO limited series is a solid and generally satisfying addition to this mystery-thriller category.” — Variety.

➢ “Mosaic is a new HBO miniseries from the Ocean’s Eleven director about the murder of wealthy children’s-book author Olivia Lake (Sharon Stone) in a small Utah community … The series starts a bit too slow. Stone is always a treat, but the pace and plotting are more gripping after Olivia’s murder.” — USA Today.

➢ “The writing, from Ed Solomon (Now You See Me, Charlie’s Angels, Men in Black), is serviceable though not subtle (nor does a good mystery need to be). Soderbergh’s direction is naturally top-notch and he gets universally excellent performances out of everyone, save for the moments that are just the tiniest bit overwrought or rushed.” — The Hollywood Reporter.

➢ “Practically every character possesses pieces of a puzzle they aren’t quite sure how to put together. The guiding two-part question of this intriguing, sometimes frustrating mystery is, what did they know, and when did they know it? That applies not only to the men and women who exist in the fictional version of snowy Summit, Utah but to the audience as well.” — New York.

➢ “Building in intensity, Mosaic thrives on perversity, with its suspects outdoing one another in nastiness. Reigning supreme even after she disappears is Stone as the author who plays the big bad wolf. In a splashy role that recalls her Casino 1990s, Stone asks a bartender (Garrett Hedlund) to ‘pour me something tall and muscular.’ Her willingness to ride so close to parody – and her ability to carry it off – is as much of a special effect as Mosaic needs.” — Time.