Grade: B+
Joan Crawford’s 1945 Oscar winning performance in “Mildred Pierce” carved the way for Kate Winslet. This spring, director Todd Haynes recreated the classic film into a HBO five-part miniseries starring Winslet and Guy Pearce. Winslet plays an independent single mother struggling for change and survival during the Great Depression. The 1930s California set intoxicates vintage enthusiasts while Winslet, featured in nearly every scene, delivered a powerhouse performance. Haynes captured the time, place and people of the era, creating compelling and complex characters that are still relatable 80 years later.