Martin Freeman News

[Pseudonym]

Nope, I think that must be incomprehensible wherever you're from. If a guy came to chat me up and kept twitching and whistling like that I'd think he had mental problems. 

[Arcadia]

Some "art" film, I suspect. Seems like I never get those.

[Pseudonym]

It's so weird I'm wondering if it's some kind of drama school project. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Some "art" film, I suspect. Seems like I never get those.

 

I never get those either (though I haven't watched this one yet), but you're an artist!  If you don't get 'em, then a} we're all doomed, and b} the people who make such things might as well pack up and go home.  Hmm, I wonder if they're analogous to those incomprehensible scientific papers that are praised by the peer reviewers -- possibly because no one wants to admit that they don't get it.

 

It's so weird I'm wondering if it's some kind of drama school project. 

 

Let's see, released in '98, which makes it nearly 20 years old, and of course filmed a bit longer ago than that.  In any case, MF was in his mid-20's, at which time I don't believe he was still in drama school.  But he may have been giving a hand to one of his erstwhile classmates.

[Arcadia]

Does the BBC fund things like that? It's clearly some sort of experiment, imo, the kind I associate with film school and such.

[Pseudonym]

That's crazy he's in his mid twenties, he looks loads younger than that to me! I'm rubbish at judging ages though.

[Arcadia]

So I guess my cookies are working nicely, because now all these little shorts starring Martin are popping up in my suggested viewing list.
 
This one's a little weird too, but at least it has a story:

 
It's funny; as I was watching it, I started thinking ... you know, he's a really good actor. He lets you see a full gamut of emotions with just a twist of his lips, for example. But at the same time, when I watch him ... I always know it's Martin. That's not a bad thing ... I really like George Clooney as an actor too, and I'm always aware it's Clooney.
 
But it got me thinking to how vastly different Ben's acting style is. Ben vanishes into his characters ... if I weren't a fan, I doubt if I'd even recognize him from one role to the next. Yes, he has a few little quirks that I'm starting to recognize, but by and large when I see him in character, I think he's his character ... and when I see Martin in character, I see Martin, performing. (Brilliantly, I might add.)
 
Not saying one's better than the other, I just find it really interesting that they have such great on-screen chemistry when they come at their profession from such different directions. I'm curious now about the rest of the cast, I wonder how I would react to Andrew Scott in another role, for instance. There's a couple things I want to see him in but just haven't made the time.
 
I did see Rupert Graves in a couple other things and immediately recognized him as Rupert. Didn't mind one little bit.  Gatiss is a bit more chameleon-like, I think, although I only caught him briefly in Wolf Hall (snooze fest, couldn't watch it) so I can't be sure, the costume might have fooled me. I think I only got to see him say one line.

 

I'd like to see Loo in something else, I've no idea what her range is.

[Pseudonym]

I've only seen Andrew Scott in Skyfall, where I was convinced he was Moriarty since he was trying to take over SIS (that's not a spoiler). 

I've only seen Gatiss in League of Gentleman, where he's pretty different. It's hard to believe the same person who plays some of those characters is also Mycroft. 

I think I know what you mean with Martin, he has quite a distinctive way of acting with his expressions etc, and those carry over into different roles. Ben doesn't seem to have such a distinctive style, which is actually a boon. Don't think I've seen Rupert or Loo in anything else. 

[Arcadia]

Eugh, Skyfall, I don't know ... I really dislike James Bond, is there enough of Andrew to make it worth sitting through? And what's the one with Daniel Radcliffe -- was it Frankenstein? Odd that I can't remember. Anyone think it's worth watching? It looked like fun but I seem to remember it didn't go over well.

 

The one I really want to see is Denial. One of these days.

[Pseudonym]

I'm not a James Bond fan but I quite liked Skyfall. It's all silliness of course but better than the other James Bond films I've seen. But no, Andrew isn't in it enough to be the sole reason to watch it.

 

Victor Frankenstein I think. And nope, not seen it. 

 

I don't know anything about Denial. I wouldn't mind watching Pride if I catch it on telly sometime.

[Arcadia]

Yeah, Pride, that's the other one I wanted to see. Ah, some day..........

[SherlockedCAMPer]

Victor Frankenstein was good. I enjoyed it and Denial is on my wishlist from Amazon. My wanted to punch Timothy Spall's character just a few minutes into the movie. I learned stuff about the Holocaust and science that I didn't know before.

 

Also Andrew was not in Skyfall but Spectre. His Spectre character is very similar to his Moriarty but maybe a little more hands on in the getting his hands dirty department. Overall I think Skyfall is the favorite of the Craig bond films with Spectre coming in a close 2nd because I did like Andrew's character. But Goldfinger will still be my Bond movie as it was the first one I saw making Connery my Bond. So what if I watched the movie around the age of 10 about 20 years after it released.

[J.P.]

IMO Mark is as much as a chameleon as Ben. Have seen a bunch of his movies and sometimes you hardly recognize him (and I really wish I haven't seen some of TLOG) What he can do was clear in the London Spy. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Andrew is more the Martin style, but still very good (The Stag and Pride). Loo actually is very different from Molly as a person, and she's in a show running now on BBC, where she is a real beast. Didn't watch much of the show, but she was impressing.

 

The only moment when Martin disappeared a bit, was Hobbit. And IMO his was the best performance in the whole P Jackson production - and that's a Viggo fan saying this.

[Arcadia]

I actually can't imagine anyone else as Bilbo Baggins. He was simply perfect.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Indeed. One of these days, they'll have to make a whole movie about Bilbo. They could call it "The Hobbit."

 

Oh -- wait a minute --

[Arcadia]

 

What a great idea, too bad Peter Jackson didn't think of that!

[Carol the Dabbler]

In all fairness I should mention that I was very pleased with Ian Holm's Bilbo. In fact I was indignant when I heard they were going to recast the role (till I stopped to think that Bilbo would be a far more physical role in The Hobbit, and Holm hadn't gotten any younger in the intervening ten years).

[Alex the Dabbler]

Martin Freeman is involved in a Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band documentary:

 

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-04-26/sherlocks-martin-freeman-to-front-sgt-pepper-at-50-beatles-documentary

[Carol the Dabbler]

A couple of quotes from that Radio Times article:
 

A number of programmes have been announced for radio and television telling the story of the Beatles, including a two-part BBC Radio 2 documentary entitled Sgt. Pepper Forever to be presented by Sherlock star Martin Freeman.

Martin Freeman said, “Sgt. Pepper is the most celebrated album by my favourite band. These documentaries will shed light on how The Beatles, with George Martin, created a piece of work that marked a watershed for what a long playing record could be. It’s my absolute pleasure to help tell you about it."

Wonder if the radio documentary will ever be available outside the UK?

[Carol the Dabbler]

From Playbill magazine:
 

 

Michael Grandage Company and Headlong announced initial casting for the world premiere of James Graham’s Labour of Love, which will begin previews September 15 at the Noel Coward Theatre with an official opening September 25. Performances are currently scheduled through December 2.

Jeremy Herrin will direct a cast led by Martin Freeman as David Lyons and Sarah Lancashire as Jean Whittaker.

“Labour MP David Lyons cares about modernisation and ’electability,’” according to press notes. “His constituency agent, Jean Whittaker cares about principles and her community. Set away from the Westminster bubble in the party's traditional northern heartlands, this is a clash of philosophy, culture, and class against the backdrop of the Labour Party over 25 years, as it moves from Kinnock through Blair into Corbyn... and beyond?”

[Carol the Dabbler]

This is too late for anyone who could have watched the show to actually watch it as broadcast -- but it will presumably be on the BBC website for a while (for those in the UK).  Martin Freeman is/was on the Graham Norton show tonight (Friday).

[Pseudonym]

Yup, taped it but not watched it yet. I'll do my trusty UK correspondent report if there's anything interesting.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks!

 

Meanwhile, here's a little sample.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Y'know, I'm impressed.  For those who haven't watched that clip yet, Norton and his guests are competing by hitting an electronic punching bag.  Sorry I don't have people's names, but here are the scores in descending order:

 

The boxer:  848

The big guy:  632

Freeman:  594

Norton:  417

The woman:  182

 

Of course the boxer won.  I mean, duh!  But then the next two are a virtual tie between Martin Freeman and a guy who's far taller and far heavier.  MF is in really good shape!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

The teaser trailer for Black Panther released today. I don't have a link to share, but it looks good.