MovieChat Forums > An Inspector Calls (2015) Discussion > Superb performances

Superb performances

posted 9 years ago by Maddyclassicfilms
8 replies | jump to latest

The entire cast were brilliant. I thought Ken Stott was extremely good and Miranda Richardson perfectly conveyed her characters coldness and selfishness.

I was most impressed with David Thewlis as the Inspector, I love the expressions on his face when he is watching them all and seeing them begin to feel guilt and anger. He does very little and yet does so much, his performance is all in his face and it's interesting to watch him and read his expressions.

I was so impressed with this adaptation and really enjoyed it. I think my favourite adaptation though will always be the one from 1982 starring Bernard Hepton as the Inspector.

Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

[–] sillyspaghetti 9 years ago

I liked this version as well. The only thing I thought was a bit strange was changing the daughter from buying a hat to a dress in this adaptation - seemed like it was a bit unnecessary. David Thewlis was amazing as ever.

I also like the Alistair Sim version.

[–] I_know_what_you_did87 9 years ago

I don't think it ever says in the play what she's trying on, so it's up to the director. I personally always imagined it to be a dress.

[–] batmanjokercatwoman 9 years ago

It's been a while since I read the play but I'm pretty certain it was a dress in the play. I just remember when I first saw the Alistair Sim version I was thinking 'oh they changed it to a hat'.

Anyway I really enjoyed this version, even more than the original film. This one just feels more like the play while still having its own spin on the story. I felt the flashbacks were handled really well, the sets and costumes were brilliant. The whole cast looked and played the characters to almost exactly how I imagined them.

[–] combatreview 9 years ago

By chance I've ended up hearing/seeing five or six adaptations of this play - alongside Sim and Bernard Hepton, there are also very good radio productions with Bob Peck (!) and Toby Jones as the Inspector. Just a shame the Bob Peck one is on the radio, I'd love to have seen him punctuating the Inspector's speeches with his quiet, pearcing stare.

I did really enjoy this new TV adaptation too - as you say, great cast, I generally find Ken Stott can do no wrong and I particularly like Thewlis. I can remember a time when he was invariably associated in my mind with quite repulsive and vicious characters, but however good he is at being rancid and nasty, he's just as good at being compassionate and benign.

However, the main reason I posted is to underline your vote for Bernard Hepton, an actor I've come to really, really admire - albeit mainly through re-runs of Secret Army and Colditz.

[–] Maddyclassicfilms 9 years ago

Hi combatreview. So happy to meet another fan of Bernard Hepton, he is such an underrated actor.

I love him in Secret Army, Colditz,An Inspector Calls,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,Smiley's People and Henry VIII and His Six Wives.

I'm a huge fan of Bob Peck too and would love to hear the radio play of an Inspector Calls, I'll have to have a look and see if I can find it. I agree with you that he would have been incredible as the Inspector. I'm even more excited to hear there is a Toby Jones adaptation he is marvellous in anything he does and I bet he is superb as the Inspector too.

Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .

[–] combatreview 9 years ago

>>>So happy to meet another fan of Bernard Hepton, he is such an underrated actor.

And under-known. Though, as I tend to watch a lot of 'archive' TV there's plenty of forgotten actors that I really rate.

As it happens, my mum's a Hepton fan and I grew up being told the story that he used to buy cigarettes in my aunt's shop on the way to filming Colditz. I asked my aunt years later, but it turned out it had been Jack Hedley not Bernard Hepton! Still, I'd seen Colditz by then so I can approve of him being my aunt's customer..!

>>>I love him in Secret Army, Colditz, An Inspector Calls, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,Smiley's People and Henry VIII and His Six Wives.

Did you miss I, Claudius by accident or design?

As it happens, I also listen to lots of radio and the first time I encountered Bernard Hepton was in the 1980s radio plays of Titus Groan and Gormenghast, where he played Doctor Prunesquallor, played less effectively by John Sessions in the TV version - Hepton has quite a beautiful, very kind voice.

As it happens, as well as playing Esterhazy in Tinker Tailor on TV, he was *also* in a radio adaptation, playing Smiley himself! However, I've not had a chance to hear that yet.

>>>I'm a huge fan of Bob Peck too and would love to hear the radio play of an Inspector Calls

I believe it was a World Service production, but it was repeated on BBC7 several times. If you have difficulty finding it, let me know as I will probably be able to help...

>>>I'm even more excited to hear there is a Toby Jones adaptation he is marvellous in anything he does and I bet he is superb as the Inspector too.

Yeah - his delivery of the 'Blood, Fire and Anguish' line is particularly good, bringing out the Old Testament chill in its implications.

Turns out this version(a fairly recent Saturday Play on Radio 4) is actually available through iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/audiobook/inspector-calls-classic-radio/id426852782

Though, again... I may be able to help if this eludes you...

[–] supergran 9 years ago

Bernard Hepton as Pallus and John Cater as Narcissus - a fantastic (dark) comedy duo in I, Claudius. Loved 'em!

If there aren't any skeletons in a man's closet, there's probably a Bertha in his attic.

[–] Jonesy_1 9 years ago

I was most impressed with David Thewlis as the Inspector

That makes two of us. I'd like to hear the Bob Peck version.
I recently saw the stage version by the National Theatre, it's been on tour and it came to a local theatre, and it was terrible. Liam Brennan was the inspector and he just overacted the part. Tim Woodward was good as Mr Birling and I couldn't help but think that his father, Edward Woodward, would have been great as the inspector.

"Be safe, be happy, and don't let anyone make you afraid." David Coverdale