English actress Emily Mortimer has been a screen staple since her film debut in “The Ghost and the Darkness” opposite Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas in 1996. She’s as at home in period pieces like “Elizabeth” as she is in contemporary films like “Lars and the Real Girl” (among many more).
Mortimer co-wrote the series “Doll & Em” with her co-star Dolly Wells, but the accomplished actress finally makes her directing debut with the three-episode miniseries “The Pursuit of Love,” which debuts Friday on Amazon Prime.
Adapted from Nancy Mitford’s 1945 novel, “The Pursuit of Love” begins as a fizzy and delightful period piece, before exploring the darker sides of life during and after wartime. The story follows a pair of cousins, Linda and Fanny (Lily James and Emily Beecham), who are the best of friends, navigating their coming of age in England between the world wars. Linda is a beautiful, reckless rebel, while Fanny is the more cautious and careful type, but they rely on each other to get through life’s challenges, whether it’s Linda injecting a sense of fun and adventure or Fanny offering stability and comfort when Linda needs it most.
While Mortimer has a small part as Fanny’s absentee mother, and her friend and writing partner Wells plays Linda’s mother, the series is Mortimer’s loud and proud debut as an auteur behind the camera. She brings a lively sense of style, whimsy and modern flair to the project, and it’s an exciting announcement of her aesthetic and sensibility as a director.