A Riveting Tale of Memory and Truth
The story is centered round 91 year man Ptolemy Grey who is in the early stage of dementia. After this caretaker leaves, he is taken care of by an orphaned teenager named Robyn. As they work to find a cure for the treatment that can bring back his memories, there is a wonderful revelation involving the show’s themes of memory, the truth and old age; the truth that is unveiled include solving the death of his nephew and coming to terms with the past. It focuses on what is happening in a man’s mind and the consequences of memory loss, providing audiences with a psychological thriller mixed with mystery and suspense.
Samuel L. Jackson’s acting as Ptolemy Grey is one of the best in the film, where he manages to depict different emotions of his character being both fragile and strong. He is well supported by Dominique Fishback who works hard to make the character of Robyn interesting. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable and brings an extra emotional plane to the show, Under the collective direction of Hanelle M Culpepper,Guillermo Navarro and Debbie Allen the series is taut narrative that does not dispense tension even as it unearths a lot of the deeper psychological and emotional angles. Their direction helps the audience stay hooked into the series and invest in the story itself.
Music is used to reinforce the emotions of the series, without overwhelming the dialogues, the characters and the plot.
Cinematography is also great, it captures the overall mood of the series, the tension between characters, as well as their tender moments. It drowns the viewers in Ptolemy’s perspective, mainly achieved through the Lighting and Camera work which also illustrate his psychological state.
The settings are very realistic, yet dreamlike, and depict the surroundings of Ptolemy; his messy apartment filled with reminders of his past and the bright but desolate city he wanders through when in his fragile state.
There is not much in the way of Special Effects but what is The pacing of the show is successful in managing to maintain a flow to the story and keep the audience intrigued with Ptolemy’s journey, however it is not rushed at all and gives its audience ample time to invest in the journey, though at the same time, there is enough tension to last throughout the series.
The dialogue is well written as they help to develop, not only the plot, but the audiences’ perceptions of the characters. They are subtle and at times very moving given that they speak a lot of the characters’ invisible struggle in the relationship between Ptolemy and Robyn.
They are not unusual and sometimes melodramatic and which can be a bit clichéd for a viewer with some background knowledge. Some episodes seem slow-burning – especially the central ones – but the cast usually compensates for it.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is an extraordinary and moving drama about memory and the truth. Samuel L. Jackson also stands out as a great actor for the series and adds grace and seriousness to the game. It provides a view of the effects of forgetting and the search for truth, meaning that it should appeal to anyone interested in psychological dramas.
