Natalie Portman Shines as Maddie Schwartz in ‘Lady in the Lake’

“A cracking good mystery with the story of a not always admirable woman working to stand on her own.”

Stephen King wrote those admiring words for his New York Times review of “Lady in the Lake.” He referred to the 2019 novel by Laura Lippman, and now, the story has been adapted into a limited series on Apple TV+ featuring Oscar winner Natalie Portman. Despite Portman’s stellar performance in her TV debut, the seven-part series often feels like a chaotic mess. However, its ambitious spirit is undeniable.

Portman excels as Maddie Schwartz, an unhappy Jewish housewife who leaves her husband, played by Brett Gelman, to pursue a career in journalism amid the racial tensions of mid-1960s Baltimore. Maddie is engrossed in investigating two murders: that of an 11-year-old Jewish girl named Tessie Fine, portrayed by Bianca Belle, and Black activist and single mother Cleo Sherwood, played by Moses Ingram.

It’s the disembodied voice of Cleo we hear first: “Alive, I was Cleo Johnson, but in my death, I became the Lady in the Lake.” Her body is found clogging the drain in a lake fountain, turning her case into a tabloid sensation that Maddie shamelessly exploits to advance her own career.

In defying her controlling husband, Maddie resides in a dingy apartment situated in a predominantly Black Baltimore slum. Her snobbish son Seth, played by Noah Jupe, is repulsed by her living conditions and visits her infrequently. Maddie’s questionable traits also include sleeping around for stories, as she seduces a young Black cop, Ferdie Platt, portrayed by an outstanding Y’lan Noel.

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Despite the criticisms, Maddie continues to pursue the Lady in the Lake story, even when her columnist mentor Bob Bauer, played by Pruitt Taylor Vince, claims it wouldn’t interest white readers. Maddie is pushed further by her landlord’s pothead teen daughter Judith Weinstein, portrayed by a compelling Mikey Madison in a performance that previews her Oscar-buzzed role in “Anora” this fall.

The acting in “Lady in the Lake” is top-tier. Portman finds her match in Ingram, an Emmy nominee for “Queen’s Gambit,” who lights up the screen despite rarely sharing scenes with Portman. They keep viewers engrossed in this tale of two single mothers struggling to find their place in a male-dominated world and under the pressures of racial assimilation.

There’s no denying the good intentions that pave this series, directed and co-written by first-time showrunner Alma Har’el. Known for her work on “Bombay Beach” and “Honey Boy,” Har’el’s direction often seems like it’s on the verge of falling apart.

Much attention is given to Cleo’s criminal boss, her work at his club, her estrangement from her son’s father, and battling personal demons. The series also delves into Maddie’s secret past, the real paternity of her son, and her rebellion against the conservative Jewish traditions that shaped her.

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In attempting to incorporate every detail from Lippman’s novel, the series often loses focus on the flawed, fascinating women at its core. What works beautifully in a novel—the intersection of multiple themes and characters—feels rushed and muddled even over seven hours of screen time.

As the story approaches an easily guessed twist ending, Portman and Ingram manage to recapture some of the narrative’s inherent power. Watching two resilient women learn to stand on their own remains compelling. Unfortunately, “Lady in the Lake” ultimately emerges as little more than a well-intentioned but uneven effort—a haunting story told haltingly.

Source: Apple TV+, New York Times