The Beautiful Lie

Anna Ivin thought she had a pretty perfect life.

The retired tennis star was married to handsome tennis champ Alexander (Rodger Corser), living an affluent life with their young son. But as her voice over tells us in the opening scenes of The Beautiful Lie, marriage to ‘Xander’ was incomplete.

“He made me think I could survive anything, but he was wrong. By the time my boy turned seven I would be dead,” she says.

Yes, ABC’s new drama will be a tragedy, but one that promises challenging themes of passion, infidelity, choices -and consequences.

I haven’t read the nearly 1000 pages of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, on which this is based, so I won’t pretend to make comparisons. But with Sarah Snook leading this journey as Anna, I am happily along for the ride, in full knowledge that she will expire some time before the credits roll on episode 6.

This contemporary reimagining revolves around a universe of mostly young adults. Navigating your way through the family tree of this ensemble is sometimes a bit of a challenge, but it does get easier.

Anna’s brother Kingsley (Daniel Henshall) is in deep trouble after wife Dolly (Celia Pacquola) has learned of an affair with their live-in help, Gabriella. Dolly is furious and cannot be placated, even when she is expected to visit her own sister Kitty (Sophie Lowe) who has just become engaged to young music producer, Skeet (Benedict Samuel).

When Anna meets her brother at the airport she is introduced to Skeet and the attraction is instant. The electricity between them only surges more at Kitty’s engagement party.

A parallel storyline also revolves around Kitty’s rejected suitor Peter (Alexander England), a farmer wallowing in self-pity whose sickly brother Nick (Dan Wyllie) makes untimely demands of him.

Parental roles are played by Gina Riley, Robert Menzies and Catherine McClements.

Most of these adults are flawed characters, attempting to get through modern life and the perils of relationships in suburbia. In this regard The Beautiful Lie nods to a previous jigsaw in Tangle, from the same producers, John Edwards and Imogen Banks.

Sarah Snook is bestowed with an anti-hero character requiring sympathy and disdain at the same time. We are drawn to Anna yet we know her pursuit of Skeet is wrong on every count. And so does she. Snook plays this internal tug of war to great effect.

Benedict Samuel plays an unconventional Romeo in Skeet, following his desire without any of the guilt. He represents a freedom missing from Anna’s respectable life. By contrast Rodger Corser portrays the handsome but ultimately dull husband required to justify the entire affair.

Sophie Lowe becomes victim as Kitty but finds an anger that propels her forward while Alexander England’s strong, silent Peter never gives up on his one true objective.

The real surprise is Celia Pacquola, moving from the comedy of Utopia to dramatic scenes with ease. She utterly holds her own alongside more seasoned actors.

Writers Alice Bell and Jonathan Gavin have infused their script with intelligent, sometimes poignant, dialogue which allows a gifted ensemble to play the subtext.

Director Glendyn Ivin shines with the intimate scenes, as the camera comes in close on Anna and Skeet. Fingers brush against bodies, until they give way to full bore sex.

It’s hard to resist the tunnel vision shared by Anna and Skeet. There is regret and longing all at the same time. Lies, selfishness and more damned lies…

As a hopelessly-infatuated Anna concedes, “You have to keep going forward. You’ve past the point of no return.

“My old life was falling away before my eyes. Xander somewhere in the distance.”

The Beautiful Lie airs 8:30pm Sunday on ABC.