Vhanja wrote:

This thread seemed appropriate to share my thoughts on Martin Freeman.



No, he doesn't have the same charisma, baritone voice and haughty good-looks as Benedict. But he has something else. There are a lot of great actors out there, but when I see Martin Freeman, I don't think "wow, that's great acting." I think "wow, that feels real." 

He is so grounded, so real in everything he portrays, and that is a quality I have seen in very few actors, especially not to the level he can do it.

Not to mention his reactions and facial expressions! They are half the show, the man is a God of expressions! 

So yes, color me impressed. 

Also, he is darn adorable. 

That is how I feel about Martin too!!
I first saw him in Love actually 10 years ago and found him kind cute and then the next role I saw him in had been  Dr. Watson and I was quite impressed with his acting. I think the show works so splendidly because of the chemistry and dynamics between BC and MF and I like them equally.
I now have watched The Office, The Hobbits 1 and 2, Confetti and Nativity and I liked him in all those series/films. I think he brings a depth and authenticity even to the lighest comedy and unidimensional characters. But I have to say he impressed me the most live on stage as Richard III, such a phenomenal performance in a fantastic ensemble and an outstanding staging.
And when I met him very briefly afterwards he was so kind, polite and genuinely nice he won me over for a lifetime!
 

I have seen both versions now too and I was surprised to find out that I liked the version with BC as Frankenstein and JLM as the creature so much better than the other with reversed roles. I saw this version first and really felt with the creature, it really broke my heart when he got beat up by the old man´s son. And I thought at first the role of the creatue would be the much more challenging, difficult part to play and -excuse me for saying so but I do think BC is the more versatile and subtly nuanced actor-, so I was astonished to find out that I preferred JLM´s portray of the creature. But when I saw the second version with JLM as Frankenstein I realised what a brilliant job BC had done with this alleged "easier" role. I don´t know how to express this right but I felt that BC approached both roles in a more intellectual, scientific way and JLM took a more emotional, intuitive approach that worked wonderfully for the creature but not at all for Frankenstein. I wouldn´t have thought the two versions could be so different, but for me they definitely were, I was very moved by the first version and cared for both main characters immensely and though I laughed more during the second version I found it rather emotionally flat and a bit shallow.
It has been a very interesting experience and I´m even more curious now what BC will do with Hamlet next year.

I´m completely obsessed with the new album from Damien Rice, it´s sooooo good!! I have been a fan of his music since his first record and I saw him live on stage once many years ago.
I wasn´t quite sure what to expect from this new album after such a long pause and maybe one might say he hasn´t enhanced his musical style but I´m really glad he didn´t, these wonderful, melancholic and touching songs go still directly to my heart and soul.

Enjoy your trip, gently69, England is soooo lovely!!!!!
And what event Benedict will be hosting next Sunday, if you don´t mind me asking??

I was wondering too when they are going to film this BBC production, I don´t think it´s filmed already. Martin did Richard III in the last 3 months, had started the rehearsal for R3 in may and I think he filmed Fargo from last october until march this year, so I don´t know when he would have done this.

But I think it´s a great role for him because he always seems so interested in history and is probably glad  he can contribute to the Holocaust memorial day.

For all the german people here, TTSS is on german tv tonight, on Pro7maxx at 8.15 pm!

TIG won the people's choice award at TIFF, that's absolutely great news!

Ivy wrote:

Pride-Meet the filmmakers
Andrew Scott and Faye Marsay Q&A - Apple Store, London





A wonderful Q&A, he's so lovely and the interview was so emotional 

That really is a lovely interview, emotional and honest, both of the actors seemed so down to earth and and humble, extremely likable and compassionate and I can´t wait to see this movie!
 

I´m home now again and I´m still feeling very happy and lucky to have been able to see this production. As I said before I´m one of the theatre goers who prefer modern stagings to pure classical productions and I thought the transfer into the 70´s was a very clever and thoughtful idea and gave the play a cold war/conspiracy/coup feeling which made it really gripping, thrilling and intense in my opinion. I sometimes felt like watching a John Le Carre novel meeting Pulp Fiction  and it had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath for most of the play.
I also found it fascinating that they used the same stage design for the whole play, but it still felt different and new in the various scenes, with every change of the superb costumes it felt like they had changed the whole scenerie.
And I definitely loved Martin Freeman als Richard and thought he was terrific. I completely agree with Miriel68, he did portray Richard as a mean, devious, nastily sarcastic and sometimes even wittily grotesque, but immensely cruel psychpath, but he did it so, so well in my opinion. I also have to admit that I didn´t see much appeal in the seduction scene either, but even when I read the play before seeing it on stage I couldn´t comprehend why Lady Anne gave into Richard´s courting. But Richard´s scenes with Queen Elisabeth and the Duchess of York were absolutely brilliant, those were the scenes when I actually forgot I was watching a play and thought it was a real confrontation between brother/sister-in-law and mother and son, fiery, stirring and authentic.
There also was one very special moment for me in the play when Richard was killing Anne on a desk in a very long and disturbingly cruel scene, because in the scene while he was choking his wife to death Martin Freeman was staring right at (or probably more accurate) through me because I sat right in his view in the second row and the seat in front of me was free. It was such an intense and terrifing momen

Hallo und Willkommen!!
So nice to welcome another fan from Germany here, I´m relatively new here too and I also joined this forum because most of my friends or collegues don´t even know the show and I wanted to discuss the series, its creators and its fantastic cast with some other fans.
I have tickets for Hamlet next year in october too and I will travel to London in 3 days to see Martin Freeman in Richard III, I´m already beyond excited about that!!