Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Susan Lewis's "My Lies, Your Lies"

Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.

Here Lewis dreamcasts an adaptation of her novel, My Lies, Your Lies:
The lead characters in My Lies, Your Lies are polar opposites. Freda is a manipulative, domineering and vengeful type in her early seventies. Although younger, I’ve always seen Tilda Swinton in the role. She’s a stunningly talented actor who brings such stark and yet layered sinisterness to performances that they’re utterly compelling. At the same time she can fill us with intrigue and sympathy, and lead us to places inside ourselves where we become shocked by our own responses. Definitely a perfect Freda.

Joely is early forties, mother of one hot-headed teenager, wife to a cheating husband and a successful ghostwriter. She has gentleness and beauty in her character, plenty of courage and humour mixed with a quick intelligence and perhaps too much trust. When confronted with Freda a real battle of wits begins and though frequently wrong-footed, Joely is up to the challenge. I can see Carey Mulligan in this role with her amazingly powerful yet sublimely subtle screen presence, her elegance and fierce commitment to character.

I believe the story itself could be hauntingly and brilliantly adapted by Reese Witherspoon’s company given their tremendous success with Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere. I’m sure they’d have different views about casting, and I’d be intrigued to know who they – or any reader – might see in the roles.
Visit Susan Lewis's website.

--Marshal Zeringue