American Maggie Gyllenhaal Does Her Best British Accent in ‘The Honourable Woman’ This July
In this eight-part drama, Gyllenhaal stars as Nessa Stein, and the Academy Award nominee is joined by an all-star cast that includes The Shadow Line’s Stephen Rea, Doctor Who’s Lindsay Duncan, The White Queen’s Janet McTeer, Broadchurch’s Andrew Buchan, The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson and many more.
The official synopsis goes like this: The Honourable Woman is a fast paced, labyrinthine thriller set against an international political backdrop. With Hugo Blick's (The Shadow Line) distinctive rhythmic style and vision as both a writer and director, he brings together a compelling drama about family inheritance, international business and world politics. Nessa Stein's father was a Zionist arms procurer, and as children, she and her brother witness his assassination. As an adult, inheriting her father's company, she dramatically inverts its purpose from supplying arms to laying high-spec data cabling networks between Israel and the West Bank. Now in her thirties, her sudden appointment apparently due to her tireless promotion of projects for reconciliation between the Israelis and Palestinians, creates an international political maelstrom.
The trailer has something of a Homeland vibe to it, but nonetheless looks pretty intriguing (even if there is no Damian Lewis). Watch the UK trailer for yourselves below:
The Honourable Woman has just started airing in the UK and the first episode has garnered largely positive reviews, particularly for Gyllenhaal’s performance. American audiences can see the eight-part drama for themselves starting July 31 on the Sundance channel - which is becoming well worth keeping an eye on for fans of British drama, it’s the same network which aired the exceptional Top of the Lake last year).
But everybody remember that that show’s dropping the “u” when it gets Stateside. Because we can’t have nice things, I guess?
What do you think, folks? Any interest in The Hono(u)rable Woman?