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Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

Archie: The Man Who Became Cary Grant

A transformative performance makes this Cary Grant docuseries a compelling watch

7.3

TV Show

United Kingdom
English
Drama
2023
Harriet Walter, Jason Isaacs, Laura Aikman
47 min

TLDR

Grant’s eventful life (even before Hollywood!) already makes this show a compelling watch, but Jason Isaacs’ transformative performance elevates it to great heights.

What it's about

Chronicles the life of Hollywood legend Cary Grant (Jason Isaacs), from his troubled beginnings in Bristol to his turbulent rise to fame in America.

The take

Who would’ve thought that the supremely suave Cary Grant came from humble beginnings? Grant, played marvelously by Jason Isaacs, is given the docuseries treatment in Archie, which tracks his journey from his downtrodden childhood in Bristol and his vaudeville days in New York up to his busy, blinding career in LA as a Hollywood star and his twilight years as a stand-up comedian. Grant’s eventful and surprisingly traumatic life already makes Archie a compelling watch, but Isaacs's performance elevates the show into something unmissable. Isaacs disappears into Grant; his version isn’t a mere impression (though he gets the voice and tics to a tee) but a sympathetic understanding of a highly misunderstood man. The other actors playing Grant aren’t as good, so the show can feel uneven at times. The graphics and backdrops are also hit-or-miss, alternating between comically bad to believably okay. But Isaacs saves the show, capably carrying it on his Grant-broad shoulders.

What stands out

Isaacs, 100%.

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