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PBS "Sherlock Holmes" Updated for the 21st century
Front-Ranger:
I love Sherlock's terse questions: "Problem?" "You have questions?" "Not good?" He uses Watson as his barometer. As he himself realizes, "I'd be lost without my blogger." :)
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on March 08, 2011, 01:21:51 pm ---"I'd be lost without my blogger." :)
--- End quote ---
Hmm. I do believe there is a line somewhere in the "canon" where Holmes says to Watson, "I'd be lost without my Boswell," or something very close to that.
delalluvia:
My sister and I compare the movie version (Downey/Law) characters with the TV version (Cumberbach/Freeman) and how the movie couple dynamic is extremely 'bromance' and Law's Watson is not averse to punching Downey's Holmes in the face when he gets fed up with his obnoxiousness, while in the TV version, Cumberbach's Sherlock is passive aggressive and when Freeman's John is winding up to be angry, Sherlock either modifies his behavior or he says something that takes the wind out of John's anger
"There's a head in the refrigerator."
"Just tea for me."
"A bloody head!"
Where else was I supposed to put it? You don't mind, do you?"
"Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're an idiot. No no no. Don't be like that, most everyone is."
;D :laugh:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on March 08, 2011, 02:42:18 pm ---Hmm. I do believe there is a line somewhere in the "canon" where Holmes says to Watson, "I'd be lost without my Boswell," or something very close to that.
--- End quote ---
It is. It's one of the many little tidbits the producers - who are extremely familiar with the Sherlock stories - put in the shows, either quoting directly or 'updating' it. People familar with the stories have been picking them out.
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: delalluvia on February 21, 2011, 11:53:47 pm ---YES!!!!
March 23 and 24th!! I'm so excited. Thanks for making me go look. Now I'll have to watch the site like a hawk to see the soonest I can buy tickets!!!
--- End quote ---
I went to the March 23rd viewing at my local art house theater. They're filming National Theater productions and the result is very good. I wasn't sure which performance I'd get - Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Miller are trading off roles (one playing Victor, the other the Monster and then the next performance, they switch), and I was hoping for Cumberbatch as Victor, because I always have a soft spot in my heart for men slowly going mad, plus he'd look amazing in Victorian clothes, :-* - but alas, the production was with him as the Monster. Turned out to be better, because Victor's part was much much smaller than the Monster's and the Monster was a kinetic energetic part, full of physicality and emotion and the growth of someone from innocent to someone capable of terrible acts because of the desire to love and be loved, basically.
Danny Boyle's production was slick and eyecatching but it jumped a bit. You weren't sure at times how the Monster got from one situation to the other and some scenes weren't explained very well. And strangely there was what I consider a musical scene and later a dance interlude.
But the pacing was S L O W
The opening scene - while it gave the audience a very good look at Cumberbatch wearing nothing but a little bit of near see-through gauze around his dainties and he is extremely nice to look at - the scene of the 'birth' of the Monster went on waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. There was no dialog, no other characters, just the Monster on a near empty stage learning how to get up and walk.
I haven't read Shelley, so I'm not sure how close to the original story the theatrical production stuck. There was a little bit of humor as all tragedies have, humor usually used as a tension reliever, but the humor in this production was IMO awkward and out of place in some places.
Acting was superb, all the way around, and before the end, you're feeling a lot of compassion for the Monster.
I enjoyed it and considered it worth the money and surprisingly, it was shown on a weeknight, in one of the larger auditoriums and it was nearly a full house.
Meryl:
Thanks for the report, del. I'm glad that audiences who can't get to London are able to see these plays. It must have played somewhere in NYC but I haven't seen any promos (not that I've been looking--way too busy right now to do fun things). I agree that long pantomime sections don't go over too well with audiences, especially nowadays. LOL at his "dainties." ;D
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