Scenes From A Marriage

Lacking the humanity of Bergman’s version, the dispassionate tone of Scenes From A Marriage doesn’t move you but it’s worth staying with for spectacular performances from Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.

HBO’s new spin on the story is so gorgeously acted, though, you can’t stop thinking about the theatrics of it. The very thing that will hook you — Isaac and Chastain’s full-throttle performances — might also take you out of it.

I found myself repeatedly impressed by the craft and technique’s sheer blunt-force impressiveness, yet awkwardly, even guiltily, unmoved.

But because the series repurposes so much from Bergman, it would be impossible not to measure it against the original and find the new version somewhat lacking. The performances, as crucial here as they would be in a Shakespeare adaptation, are solid. ... It’s a better-than-average TV show adapted from a masterpiece that you can still watch in the comfort of your all-too-delicately constructed home.

Claustrophobic and intense, the format provides a strong actor's showcase for Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac but a less satisfying experience for viewers.

It’s all well observed and exquisitely acted, yet this "Scenes" seems to have defied Tolstoy by finding an unhappy family that is unhappy in a very familiar way. ... If you have [seen the original series], this "Scenes" feels less like a reimagining than like a highbrow stage revival — movie stars spending a few weeks doing Ibsen at a summer theater fest. ... Of course, "Look at these talented stars in this classy production" has been a successful draw before. Whether it’s enough for you may determine whether you call it a wrap before "Scenes From a Marriage" does.

The high-emotion sparring between stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain is spectacular and provides some reason for viewers to invest in this stressful series. ... The strangest thing is that Levi seems to be completely aware that he’s remaking this property in the least interesting way possible.