All is fair in love, divorce and "War." All is pretty ridiculous and fun, too.
That's how it appears in HBO's new British drama about a high-profile and expensive divorce between a movie star and a tech tycoon that feels like a mix between the petty family drama and mogul mockery of "Succession," the sexual politics of "Dangerous Liaisons" and the high-flying antics of thrillers like "Lupin" and "Hijack," which both happen to be written by "War" creator George Kay.
"War" (Thursdays, 9 p.m. ET/PT, ★★★ out of four) is silly, addictive, juicy and devilishly entertaining.
Starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West as the high-profile and ludicrously wealthy sparring spouses, the show is the kind of legal thriller that turns buttoned-up lawyers and corporate
shills into epic (and cartoonish) heroes and villains. Everything on the show is exaggerated in a deliciously delightful manner, from the charm and smarm of the upper class jerks to the frantic scheming of the lawyers to the looks of hatred Miller and West are able to throw at each other across a mediation couch.
It does not take it self too seriously, yet also isn't vapid or shallow. It is exactly what it appears to be from its first few scenes.
Miller plays Carla Duval, a somewhat fading movie star who has been deeply unhappy in her marriage to philandering and unfeeling Morgan Henderson (West), the founder of a social media site with something like a billion dollars (or British pounds sterling) to his name.
There's a rigid prenuptial agreement in place from the times when Carla had far more wealth than Morgan, and she is as eager to break it as Morgan is to hold on to it. The tricks that Carla, Morgan and their respective teams of high-priced lawyers play start with a honeytrap and only get dirtier from there. This is not just a divorce, as the title suggests. Battle lines are drawn, as are swords, shields and naked selfies.
Surrounding Carla and Morgan are their lawyers, with various degrees of rootability, morality and likability. Carla starts as the more sympathetic party and her shysters mirror that, married couple Serena (Phoebe Fox) and Nick (James McArdle) trying to make (or break) their upstart firm with this huge case.
On Morgan's side are exactly the kind of British stuffed shirts you might imagine, from creaky old St. John (Pip Torrens) to devious Beatrice (Nina Sosanya). Then there's Johnny (Archie Renaux), a junior lawyer from the working class trying to fit into the posh circles of his girlfriend but with big baggage and bigger chip on his shoulder. Just like everyone else, he uses the divorce for his own ends, no matter how unethical or odious his conduct has to be. It's a character usually cast as the scrappy underdog, but Kay makes him just as hateful as everyone else tied up in the scandal.
Like "Succession" you are not entranced by likable people but by outlandish circumstances. It is escapist and cartoonish at moments, and sometimes a bit too much the latter. The series' explorations of the other relationships besides Carla and Morgan's leaves something to be desired, an unused opportunity to go a bit deeper and harder.
Still, "War" is a celebration of froth and frivolity in the best way. Like Kay's thief-in-the-night French caper "Lupin" and Idris-Elba thriller "Hijack," the parts that are lacking are fewer than the parts that spill over with energy. You will not care who wins the day, but you will stay entranced for the whole bloody mess.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sienna Miller, Dominic West change your perception of divorce in HBO show 'War'
