I am not the kind of person who typically drools over actors or even fan-girls except for maybe something like Lord Of The Rings and The X-files. I either like certain people’s work or admire specific stories, styles of storytelling or directing. But when I saw the BBC’s contemporary “Sherlock” starring Benedict Cumberbatch ( yes, his real name!), I have to admit I was utterly Cumberbatched!
I have never been so taken in by an actor’s skills. Cumberbatch is a brilliant actor of probably incredible intelligence. Everything from the body language of the character he is playing, to the subtle expressions of his face and his eyes, and the delivery of dialogues is absolutely perfect. I have re-watched many certain scenes to watch his razor-sharp acting.
Every actor has a breakthrough role that puts him on the map of global cinema, and Sherlock is Benedict Cumberbatch’s. Impressed by his work, I decided to see what other things that he has been in. Apparently, he has been, in his own words, UK’s “next big thing” for almost 10 years. He has done a lot of stage work, winning many awards.
He and has played supporting roles in some top-rated movies like Amazing Grace and Atonement. That was surprising, cause I had watched Atonement, and I couldn’t recall him. Then I learnt that he was the creepy pedophile character, whose existence I had erased from memory because I was so disturbed by him. Isn’t that some brilliant acting?
He is also carved a niche for himself in playing prodigious cerebral people. He starred in the docudrama “Hawking” and “Van Gogh”. In his interviews, he definitely displays the aptitude to play such characters.
The only reason to do this post is to basically broadcast the work of such a good actor. Here are some things you may have seen him in.
Sherlock
I have probably read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories at least once, if not more. I would definitely consider myself a Holmes purist, so I was initially extremely apprehensive of this modern version of Sherlock Holmes. Honestly, I was not prepared or even inclined to like it.
But its Steven Moffat’s and Mark Gatiss’s love for Conan Doyle’s detective and their off the charts writing which really makes Sherlock one of the best shows on television right now. The modernization is so natural that after the first 15 minutes, you don’t even notice it.
So how did Moffat and Gatiss bring the famous detective into the 21st century? They retained the essence of the characters of Sherlock, Watson and Lestrange and just transposed them in the modern landscape.
So now we have advanced forensics, smartphone, internet and London black cabs. Sherlock, who himself was always a keen scientist, fits in perfectly in this new era. He prefers texting over talking and uses smartphones and the internet to find information and calls his brain a hard drive.
Even with all the science technology and the wonders of forensic science, Sherlock is still the only man in the world who can put the pieces together with his remarkable powers of deduction.
Then there is Watson, who in this version, like the original, is a war veteran who returned from Afghanistan, looking for a roommate. Watson now blogs instead of writing journals, but mostly he is the same person. He tempers down Sherlock’s eccentricities and makes him more accessible to the average guy.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman fit their roles perfectly. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is ethereal, sharp, fast and almost coldly annoying, which is very close to the original. Freeman’s Watson sincere, courteous, trustworthy and perceptive. He isn’t able to make the same leaps of logic that Sherlock can ( can anybody, though?). But he can understand people and be a true friend of Sherlock.
The Last Enemy
Another British TV series I watched only because it had Benedict Cumberbatch in it. This is a sci-fi drama based in the future, where the UK government is mandating an ID card programme which will record everything about you – literally everything. It will capture your financial, educational, medical history, it will track your current location, who you meet, and what you do. This information will be useful in monitoring “terrorist” activities.
In theory, the concept is not far-fetched, which kind of makes it scary. However, the series was not that impressive. The problem is not with the excellent performances but the slightly mediocre script and in some places and a tad unrealistic. If you are into conspiracy theories, then you may enjoy this.
To the Ends of the Earth
Based on William Golding’s Man Booker award-winning trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth, is the story of the young aristocrat, Edmund Talbout’s journey to Australia on a former warship.
The three-part series explores the interactions of various classes of people in a closed trapped environment of the ship, the nature of humans and Talbout’s emotional growth. The story is disturbing, to say the least, in a weird tragical comical way. It’s not unlike other British period dramas, heavy on character development.
Cumberbatch is entirely believable as the bumbling, presumptuous aristocrat and gives a bit of a funny turn. He is strongly supported by Jared Harris, who plays a mean Captain Anderson. I also like the performance of Jamie Sives as the morally conflicted Summers. If you want British literary adaptations, then this may be worth your time.
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