Supermanis flying high at the box office thanks to the vision ofJames Gunn, and a star-studded cast that includesDavid Corenswetas the Man of Steel. Long before he picked up Superman’s cape, Corenswet was proving himself to be a great talent in films, includingPearlandTwisters. His most intense role would come with Apple TV+‘sLady in the Lake. Based on the novel byLaura Lippman, Lady in the Lakeisthe story of two women whose lives are radically upturned.Maddie Schwartz (Natalie Portman), feeling dissatisfied with her marriage, and Cleo Johnson (Moses Ingram), who’s trying to make ends meet as a single black mother in the 1950s.
Both women find an unorthodox solution to their problems. Maddie chooses to pursue journalism, and Cleo takes a job as an accountant for crime lord Shell Gordon (Wood Harris). Corenswet only has a supporting role inLady in the Lake,but he gives a career-best performance during one scene,and what’s even more impressive is that it’s 30 seconds long!
David Corenswet Delivers a Magnetic Performance in ‘Lady in the Lake’
David Corenswet plays Allan Durst, who has a complicated history with Maddie Schwartz. When they were younger, Allan and Maddie were in a relationship, but it ended badly; years later,Maddie discovered the dead body of Allan’s daughter Tessie and used it to fuel her journalistic career,even penning an article that casts her supposed killer in a sympathetic light. This doesn’t sit well with Durst, andhe corners Maddie at a Hanukkah party before verbally unloading on herin the episode “Innocence leaves when you discover cruelty.
First in others, then in yourself.” What follows are30 of the most intense seconds in a television series, thanks to Corenswet’s performance. He unloads a torrent of volcanic anger, laced with sadness and disbelief; when Maddie tries to explain herself to Alan, he screams, “Don’t say my name! Don’t you ever say my name!” It’s a raw, human reaction that feels all too real, and knowing thatLady in the Lakewas based on a true storyonly adds to the discomfort.
Corenswet didn’t just put in the emotional work forLady in the Lake, butphysically pushed himself as well. DirectorAlma Har’eldiscussed how theSupermanstar injured his shoulder during a dance sequence,leading that sequence to be completed by his stunt double:
We rehearsed it so much, and we were incredibly worried about him falling down the stairs and hurting himself. He went to get coffee, crashed down the other stairs [and injured his shoulder.] He was a hero about it… They [Corenswet and his dance double] kind of look the same, and we’re going to use him. Half of the footage you see is David dancing from a few angles that were recorded earlier, and then half of it is the dancer after we lost David that day.
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This type of dedication didn’t go unnoticed, asLady in the Lakeis currently certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, and sits at 77% at the time of writing.While the series received praise for its performances, critics took issue with how the story unfolded and its copious use of flashbacks. It turns out that Corenswet isn’t the onlySupermanstar connected toLady in the Lake.
‘Lady in the Lake’ Features Another ‘Superman’ Star
Lady in the Lakefeatures a cast that’s stacked with talent, includingfuture Oscar winnerMikey Madison. Another cast member,Pruitt Taylor Vince, would end up starring inSupermanalongside David Corenswet; Vince plays Clark Kent’s adoptive father, Jonathan,and delivers what might be the best part of the movie. Early inSuperman, the Man of Steel learns that his birth parents sent him to Earth not to serve as a savior, but a conqueror, making forone of the most shocking twists to Superman’s mythologyin years.
Jonathan reassures Clark that just because he was sent to Earth for one purpose doesn’t mean he needs to live up to it, delivering a speech that perfectly sums up Superman: “Your choices, your actions, that’s what makes you who you are.” Vince brought that same sense of gravitas to a pivotal scene inLady in the Lake, where his character Bob Bauer confronts a serial killer; only this time, his presence is harmful instead of helpful. No one would probably think of connecting a time-twisting drama to a big-budget superhero film, butLady in the Lakeproved that David Corenswet had the chops to play Superman.
Lady in the Lakeis now streaming on Apple TV+.
Lady in the Lake
