Tag: Martin Freeman

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride” by Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat; dir. Douglas Mackinnon (BBC, 2016)

Cleverly executed, presenting initially as a standalone special then morphing into a bridge between series. Gatiss and Moffat indulge in some social commentary while poking gentle fun at the original Sherlock Holmes canon. Cumberbatch and Freeman (especially) revel in the old-fashioned characterisation.

Sherlock: The Sign of Three

Sherlock: The Sign of Three

by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Sign of Three” by Stephen Thompson, Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss; dir. Colm McCarthy (BBC, 2014)

Possibly the funniest of all Sherlock episodes, albeit skewed beyond the pale towards character development and adapting little of its plot from Conan Doyle’s stories. While Benedict Cumberbatch brings Sherlock’s misanthropy painfully centre-stage, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington are more humanly sublime.

Sherlock: His Last Vow

Sherlock: His Last Vow

by Steven Moffat; dir. Nick Hurran (BBC, 2014)

TV poster: Review of “Sherlock: His Last Vow” by Steven Moffat; dir. Nick Hurran (BBC, 2014)

Another inspired reworking of the source material. Lars Mikkelsen turns Magnussen into one of television’s more memorable one-off villains. Amanda Abbington employs consummate restraint in selling Mary’s character development, her inner turmoil matched only by Martin Freeman’s at his subtle, expressive best.

Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville

Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville

by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)

TV poster: “Sherlock: The Hounds of Baskerville” by Mark Gatiss; dir. Paul McGuigan (BBC, 2012)

Gatiss takes Sherlock’s modernisation to a new level. The script is a bit raw on this occasion, yet nonetheless constitutes a masterful adaptation of what in Conan Doyle’s original is an atmospheric but undemanding story. Martin Freeman once again adds subtle touches.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

by Douglas Adams (Pan, 1984); audiobook read by Martin Freeman (Macmillan, 2012)

Adams_So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

The ideas, as ever, are ingenious, and Adams is at the top of his game in reuniting Arthur Dent with the erstwhile-destroyed Planet Earth. The story, however, such as it is, hitchhikes half-heartedly while secretly yearning to become a Dirk Gently novel.

 

 

Mostly Harmless

Mostly Harmless

by Douglas Adams (William Heinemann, 1992); audiobook read by Martin Freeman (Bolinda, 2006)

Adams_Mostly Harmless

An ingeniously plotted novel—by far the most coherent of the Hitchhiker’s books—and one in which Adams at last paid attention to characterisation; but the effect is spoiled somewhat by an incongruous (if by then expected) jokiness in the prose style.

 

 

Sherlock, Series 3

Sherlock, Series 3

by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat (BBC, 2014)

Sherlock 03

Having cherry-picked the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories, Gatiss and Moffat in series three give themselves even more latitude for creative adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s material, scripting three adventures that rely very much on the telling. Freeman and Cumberbatch remain resplendent.

 

Sherlock, Season 1

Sherlock, Season 1

(BBC, 2010)

Sherlock_1

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman combine brilliantly in this dark, funny, fast-moving and at times stylistically surreal modernisation of Sherlock Holmes. Perfectly cast and ingeniously scripted in deference to its feature-length format, this is easily some of the best television ever made.

 

Life, the Universe and Everything

Life, the Universe and Everything

by Douglas Adams (MacMillan Audio, 2006) [First published by Pan, 1982]

read by Martin Freeman

Adams_Life the Universe and Everything

Reprising the vast zaniness and existential satire of the original Hitchhiker’s duology, Adams ups his trademark discursiveness, redoubles his protagonists’ fecklessness and yet achieves an oddly cohesive transcendence (while Martin Freeman’s delivery makes a virtue of Adams’ sometimes facetious approach to prose).

 

Derelict Space Sheep