‘Madam’ – Review
We’re currently experiencing a boom in fantastic original New Zealand television content, and now audiences can brace themselves for a saucy and utterly hilarious true-life sex comedy in Madam.
McKenzie ‘Mack’ Leigh (Rachel Griffiths) who, when faced with a philandering husband and a mountain of debt, starts up an ethical brothel in small town New Zealand to provide for her family. Madam is based on the soon-to-be published memoir from Antonia Murphy, an American woman who was inspired by New Zealand’s decriminalisation of sex work and founded an escort agency built on a philosophy of protecting women’s legal rights, emotional well-being, and financial independence.
Based on the life of American expat Antonia Murphy and inspired by her stint opening a legal and 100% ethical brothel in Northland, Madam is a hilarious ten-part series that takes audiences inside the hijinks, calamities, and unexpected moments that come with the world’s oldest profession. And it’s utterly hilarious. Showrunners Harry McNaughton and Shosh McCallum keep audiences guessing episode by episode and have captured a real sense of outlaw entrepreneurial spirit with a group of women who are literally ‘taking on the man’.
Cast in the central role is celebrated Australian actress Rachel Griffiths (Murials Wedding) , and she’s an absolute hoot as McKenzie ‘Mack’ Leigh, Madam’s central character, who, after discovering the philandering ways of her weaselly husband Rob (Martin Henderson), doesn’t get mad, but instead inspired, and scoping out the local competition decides to open up her own ethical brothel. With two teenage sons, one of whom is intellectually handicapped and facing mounting debt thanks to her husband’s latest failed venture, Mack decides to take a massive swing in her life. And boy, does it get entertaining from there.
Griffiths’s Mack is a wickedly fun character who is one to certainly get stuck into things, and she doesn’t muck around when it comes to business or making things happen. Griffiths approaches Mack with a real sense of pragmatism and who, eyeing a gap in the market, decides to turn the established world of prostitution on its head. There’s a matter-of-fact quality around Griffiths’s performance, and this only grows with the comedy that follows in this series. Much of the comedy stems from Mack’s new double life and her steadfast resolve to overcome problems, no matter how messy or sticky (in the very literal sense) things might get.
Griffiths is backed up by a phenomenal supporting cast of very talented performers, and each of these actresses showcases a range of diverse and extraordinarily unique characters in Madam. Standouts in the series include the always sensational Rima Te Wiata, who plays Jules, a local Motel proprietor who suddenly finds herself very excited by Mack’s new venture and is soon enlisted as a partner to help run the business. Te Wiata has an infectious style of comedy that always entertains, and she’s an absolute hoot in this series right from the start. Also making a splash is rising star Ariana Osborne as Tui, a young sex worker who initially comes to blows with Mack but who eventually becomes a core member of her team and who gives her a crash course on how the industry really runs and opens her eyes to a whole new world of sexuality and those who seek it out.
Local lads Martin Henderson and Robbie Magasiva also bring a strong sense of gravitas to the project. While Henderson has made a career for himself playing roguish lovers and dashing romantics, here he’s played against type as Mack’s devious husband Rob, a, for the most part, unsuccessful author who is still chasing his dream to write a best-seller, and who leaves her high and dry after she discovers his own secret passions. Magasiva, on the other hand, is charming as ever as Mack’s neighbour Lima, whose sweet demeanour and general nice guy quality is exactly what Mack needs at the moment, and there’s a spark that is sure to kindle as Madam’s story moves forward.
For the audience that is looking for laughs, you can be guaranteed that Madam delivers them, and this is one of the most hilarious new comedy series I’ve seen in a long time. While a lot of the comedy derives from the sexual escapades that occur at Sweethearts, and the long list of requests of its clients, there’s never any sense of shame or stigmatism attached to any of it, and the entire cast’s solid sense of comedy timing shines through in the many hijinks throughout the show.
While the focus of Madam is very much on the act of prostitution and the women who make it their livelihood, there’s a real sense of openness and freedom around the subject matter that’s present. Showrunners McNaughton and McCallum are incredibly open with the ‘goings on’ behind the scenes at Sweethearts and keep everything in line with the true feminist ethos that Antonia Murphy employed while running her own brothel. Overall, there’s a real sincerity to all the moments present in Madam, and alongside the hilarity of the series sexual escapades, there’s a level of heart and tenderness that grows out from this series.
Madam offers audiences a great time of viewing with a narrative that will both surprise and titillate, along with providing a good sense of homegrown drama that is sure to move audiences. This is a very binge-able watch, and you’ll want to keep watching episode after episode as it’s just that entertaining.
Madam is currently streaming on ThreeNow.
Image: Tavake, XYZ Films
