Pankaja reviews Bindu De Stoppani’s Season 1 of her newly launched Netflix series.
An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts – now that’s a fantastic title! A fantastic idea – and luckily this is only the first season of Bindu de Stoppani’s series on Netflix, though apparently we’re going to have to wait a whole year for Season 2.
Everybody reads their horoscope, right? Of course we don’t really believe it… or do we?
Bindu has set this show inside a TV company, in the beautiful Italian town of Turin, and the main character starts as an assistant producer who can never find the right man. She meets an astrologer who gives her the astrological low down on every guy she dates, and – Spoiler alert!
Bindu, who has written and directed the series, has managed to find an idea with the deeply satisfying quality of a Russian doll – each new plot twist nests happily inside the previous one.
Anything can happen in a TV company – you can go wherever you want, introduce whatever characters you fancy, so the possibilities are endless.
Alice, the heroine, played by Claudia Gusmano has lots of cookie charm, but not enough to be annoying. Her emotional state is illustrated by the amount of used tissues scattered around the floor of her flat – courtesy of the various astrologically unsuitable lovers. But her career, propelled by embarrassing mistakes and misunderstandings along classic Hollywood lines, is into the position of a producer – which gives her real agency and allows her to experience her own power.
Of course the stars said it all…
It reminds me of the wonderful French series Call My Agent, which was also on Netflix, with touches of Bridget Jones’ Diary. The acting is brilliant, the characters feel very real – well, the men are all gorgeous, but human with it.
Turin is an amazingly beautiful setting, and Bindu has used it brilliantly – with long shots down the elegant streets and meetings happening inside historic buildings. I asked an Italian friend who actually comes from Turin about the clothes, which are definitely interesting – and she said they were more Hackney/Dalston than Italy, a nod to us Brits, thanks Bindu. Altogether it’s a deeply satisfying show, and I shall probably have to watch it again before we get the second season.
Bindu De Stoppani was born on December 19, 1976 in Pune, India. She is a writer and director, known for An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts (2021), The Beach (2000) and 28 Days Later… (2002). She has been married to Alex Miller since October 14, 2006. They have two children. Bio from www.imdb.com
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