The Comic Strip Presents: Series 7, Episode 6 – “Jealousy” (1993)

The Comic Strip Presents is a show that surfaces periodically on British television. Rather than presenting one unified story, each episode is a separate piece with its own characters, sensibility, and cast – more like a series of short, unrelated films. “Jealousy” is an oddball comedy written by Robbie Coltrane, a.k.a. Hagrid from the Harry Potter films

Three guesses as to which vice “Jealousy” focuses on. John, a suburban husband, can’t shake the conviction that his wife is having an affair, and all the self-help tapes in the world won’t give him peace of mind. Try as he might, he just keeps getting sucked in by his paranoia and, yes, jealousy.

PC plays John, a man more than teetering on the brink of insanity. Over the course of the episode, his gambits get more and more unhinged. There are grappling hooks involved, not to mention disguises donned for the purposes of incognito wife-tailing.

It’s pretty amusing. PC brings a screwy intensity to John that’s a lot of fun. John knows he’s being irrational, but he just can’t stop himself. While it’s not the most complex character out there, it doesn’t fail to entertain.

Also, if you’re wondering what the Twelfth Doctor would look like in a fez, this is your chance!

Accent Watch

Scottish, with more than a hint of the “crazy Scotsman” stereotype.

Recommend?

In General – Maybe, depending on the person. I think “Jealousy” is pretty funny, but its screwball quirkiness wouldn’t be to everyone’s tastes.

PC-wise – Probably not lighting up anyone’s top-ten list, but it's good for a laugh – worth a watch if you’ve seen PC’s choicer stuff and want more. 

Warnings

A little swearing, and some thematic elements and dark comedy.

Accused: Series 1, Episode 3 – “Helen’s Story” (2010)

Accused, it turns out, is a well-made British legal drama, short on courtroom strategies and heavy on humanity. Each episode focuses on an ordinary person accused of a crime, and if “Helen’s Story” is any indication, the story that led them to their current predicament is told through flashbacks.

In “Helen’s Story,” primary-school teacher Helen Ryland’s world is rent in two when her son is killed in a factory accident at work. The account she’s given doesn’t quite add up, and her grief propels her to action. She investigates, she crusades, and in her quest for retribution, right and wrong take on a different meaning.

As the title suggests, Helen’s loss and Helen’s journey are at the center of the story, but her husband Frank Ryland, played by PC, is bereft of a son as well. While Helen’s grief turns to obsession and outrage, Frank is like a living husk. He’s there, he’s present, but it’s clear he’s barely managing to drag himself around from day to day.

PC is just stellar here. Frank is beaten down, absolutely wrung out by his grief. The performance is largely understated, and like I said, Juliet Stevenson’s Helen gets the main focus, but PC still gets a chance to shine. There’s an excellent scene where Helen and Frank both let their emotions rule them, and they really have it out. And in his moments alone, when no one’s watching, Frank can’t maintain even his slight semblance of control. He simply breaks open and falls apart – it’s wrenching to watch.

I have to mention – near the end, there’s a point at which you’ll start thinking, “Okay, what is going on?! I can’t even!” Just wait. You’ll figure out what’s going on. It’s wild, but I love it.

Accent Watch

100% Scottish.

Recommend?

In General – Most definitely. Well written, superbly acted, and cinematically filmed. Plus, the Netflix page says that other episodes feature the likes of Sean Bean, Christopher Eccleston, and Andy Serkis. I certainly plan on watching the rest of the series when I have a little more space on my viewing docket.

PC-wise – Absolutely. I just love PC’s work in this; so good. Also? He sings. Just saying.

Warnings

Strong language in a few places, and some intense scenes. Also, coulrophobes probably don’t want to watch this episode.

Doctor Who: Series 4, Episode 2 – “The Fires of Pompeii” (2008)

Whovian that I am, I’ve of course seen this episode before. The first time around, PC was still a Hey!-It’s-That-Guy (from In the Loop), and he had the good fortune to be part of my favorite episode from series 4. (Yes, I know that this came out first, but I came late to the Who party.)

Three guesses as to where and when the Tenth Doctor and Donna end up in “The Fires of Pompeii.” It’s the eve of Volcano Day, and Donna gets her first dose of the age-old time traveler’s problem: thou must not change established time lines. Amid prophecies, creatures of stone, and plenty of Latin, the Doctor and Donna butt heads over saving anyone in the doomed city.

A well-to-do merchant family serves as the human face of Pompeii, headed by PC’s Caecilius. A purveyor of granite, Caecilius is an ordinary man trying to keep the gods happy while balancing the demands of work and family. But all the prayers in the world won’t stop the rumbling from the mountain, and the two chatty, strangely-appareled strangers who’ve dropped in on him seem to know more than they’re telling.

This is a nice role – not especially flashy, but well-rounded in a gentle way. The Davies era of Who is a feast of likeable, easy-to-connect-with supporting characters, and Caecilius fits the bill. Despite his single-episode appearance, I feel like I get him – what he’s about, what’s important to him, and how he cares about his family. He’s not a perfect or important man, just one of many at the mercy of the volcano, but you can’t help but hope he’ll be saved.

I especially love Caecilius’s reactions to the recurring joke that the Doctor and Donna’s comments in actual Latin are rendered into Celtic by the TARDIS translation circuit. It’s one of my favorite bits in the episode, and Caecilius’s slightly awkward “not that there's anything wrong with that!” acknowledgment of it is always good for a laugh.

Accent Watch

RP, not bad. Some of those R’s sounded pretty Scottish, though!

Recommend?

In General – Most definitely! I adore this episode – I’d go back in time just to recommend it again.

PC-wise – Yes. PC covers plenty of ground with this fairly simple character. Decidedly worth seeing.

Warnings

Light swearing maybe, and some dark themes.

Peep Show: Series 2, Episode 4 – “University Challenge” (2004)

Peep Show is a British sitcom that Netflix has dangled before me on numerous occasions, though I’ve never watched it before today – so much TV, so little time, and all that. So, when I saw that PC had appeared on the show, I decided to take this episode for a spin.

The show follows Mark and Jez, two friends and roommates, through the usual life-and-love misadventures that always plague sitcom twenty-somethings. As a hook, the episodes are filmed entirely through the characters’ POV, and the camera shifts with every head movement.

“University Challenge” sees the duo traveling back to their alma mater, where Mark poses as a “mature student” to get in good with the coed/shoe salesgirl who’s caught his eye. Along the way, he tries to capture the university experience he’d always wanted.

PC comes into this as Professor Alistair MacLeish, the ancient history professor that Mark dreamed of impressing back in the day. As far as professor archetypes go, MacLeish is the well-bred intellectual who cherry-picks promising pupils for mentoring and low-key shindigs at his house, where the wine is expensive and brainy conversation is the height of excitement.

It’s a fairly standard role, and PC handles it capably. He’s best when Jez, a loud-mouthed would-be rocker, crashes the soiree and tries to single-handedly dismantle the ivory tower. His pretentious intellectualism clashes nicely with Jez’s alcohol-soaked ranting.

Accent Watch

Scottish all the way. I like that – RP is the typical accent of the well-bred intellectual, and it’s nice to see a Glaswegian getting his scholar on.

Recommend?

In General – Not sure. I think it’s hard to really gauge a show by one out-of-context episode, standards like Seinfeld notwithstanding. “University Challenge” didn’t leave me clamoring for more Peep Show, but I wouldn’t be against seeing more, given time.

PC-wise – Maybe. Enjoyable enough, though it’s not a heavy hitter. If you’re in need of a quick PC fix, it’s short and sweet.

Warnings

Swearing and drug/sexual references, but not intense. More sitcommy.

The Love Child (1988)

Another early work. The Love Child is the first PC work I’ve seen where he was legitimately the lead. I suppose you could make a good argument for In the Loop, but even if Malcolm was the most prominent character in that film, he’s not exactly the leading type.

But there will be plenty of time to gabble about In the Loop later! Today is about The Love Child. At the center of this film is Dillon, a tightly-wound accounts clerk who’s anxious to distinguish himself from his family tree of hippies, crooks, and deadbeats. However, he quickly finds his responsible, ordered life starting to spin out of his control.

Since I already mentioned that PC plays the lead in this film, you may have figured out that he’s the Dillon in question. Dillon spends the story dealing with change – desperately resisting it, timidly pursuing it, just trying to wrap his head around it. And then, there’s the fact that inanimate objects have started talking to him. He doesn’t know what to make of that!

On the whole, PC heads the film with quiet aplomb. The Dillon we meet is unassuming but always present, and as he takes baby steps toward new experiences and human connection, it’s easy to cheer him on. Plus, he has a begrudging conversation with a toilet about who was dealt the worse hand in life! There probably aren’t too many actors who’ve had to make a piece of non-sentient porcelain feel like a legitimate screen partner.

Accent Watch

London, a little broad at times.

Recommend?

In General – Maybe, depending on the recommendee. There’s an offbeat madness to this film that I enjoyed. I still don’t entirely know what to make of it, but I can’t say it wasn’t a pleasant way to spend an hour and a half.

PC-wise – Oh, yeah. It’s a nice performance and a rootable character who grows a lot over the course of the film. And really, I don’t how many leading film roles I’m going to come across on Capaldi Fall, so I’d say catch ‘em while you can!

Warnings

There’s a brief sex scene, some drinking, and a scene of recreational drug use. Also some violence – mostly of the punch-and-kick variety.

Local Hero (1983, PG)

 

In the post-Twelve-announcement discussion frenzy, I saw Local Hero mentioned a number of times as a must-watch PC film, so I made it a top priority. Well picked – this charming little film hops continents and deftly skips between reality and magic.

 

The story follows Mac, a young representative of Knox Oil, from Texas to Scotland on a mission to secure land for a new refinery. As he negotiates with the inhabitants of a small coastal village, he is gently drawn to their way of life. Stargazing, accordions, a house built entirely from scraps washed up on the beach – what more could you want from a movie?

 

Well, if you’re kicking off a Capaldi Fall, obviously the answer is “Peter Capaldi,” and this movie delivers on that score, too. PC plays Danny Oldsen, a local Knox representative that Mac meets up with upon arrival in Scotland. A friendly but awkward polyglot, Danny is less interested in the land deal and more concerned with attempting to woo a lovely young woman who may or may not be a mermaid.

 

PC brings an odd charm to Danny. Whether feeding an injured rabbit or giving a show-and-tell lesson on the word “kiss” in Japanese, he’s amusing to watch and fits in seamlessly with the film’s off-kilter appeal. Also, the fantastically silly run he’d perfected by The Thick of It was in its gangly early stages here.

 

And can I just say – holy youngness, Batman! This film is 30 years old, meaning that PC was only 25 when it was made. I love seeing the early works of older actors, searching the fresher faces and ungrayed hair for traces of the performer you know.

 

Accent Watch – I’m an accent nerd, all right? So sue me.

 

Score one for the Glaswegian! Scottish accent. 

 

(I have to admit, I’m not familiar enough with various Scottish accents to tell the difference between them, so some of the ones used by PC may not be his own. If anyone more knowledgeable wants to set me straight, feel free!)

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Yes. It’s super ‘80s, and it takes its time getting started, but it’s a quirky delight.

 

PC-wise – Definitely. PC has a good-sized role here, and the character is just plain smile-inducing.

 

Warnings

 

Nothing of significance – some language and sensuality.

Capaldi Fall

I’ll be honest – when Peter Capaldi was first announced as the Twelfth Doctor, my immediate reaction was “hmmm.” I wasn’t ecstatic, horrified, on pins and needles, or awash with skepticism. I was merely intrigued. “Hmmm, interesting.” “Hmmm, that could work.” “Hmmm, this will shake things up a bit.”

The more I thought about it, though, the more this seemed like perfect casting. I hadn’t seen Peter Capaldi (hereafter referred to as PC, just cuz) in many roles, but each one had made me sit up and take notice. I knew he could play humor, drama, anger, and pathos. I knew he had energy in spades. I’d been hoping for an older Doctor to take Matt Smith’s torch, and PC seemed brimming with potential.

In the fan-frenzy that followed the announcement, I found my way to one Whovian’s amusing creation: Malcolm Tucker IS Dr Who! Blending Who clips with snippets of PC’s incredibly foul-mouthed spin doctor character from The Thick of It made for some good old-fashioned absurdity, and it was just the kick I needed to finally start watching The Thick of It.

I’d been aware of it. I’d seen In the Loop when it first came out, and I’d heard that it was based on a TV show, but I’d just never got around to it. However, I figured that the Malcolm/Doctor dissonance would be a lot weirder if I watched The Thick of It for the first time after seeing him as the Doctor, and that video was too much fun to pass up.

Well, a week-and-a-half later, I’d devoured The Thick of It and realized that PC was definitely one to watch. With the first glimpse of the Twelfth Doctor several months away, I’ve decided to spend the interval acquainting myself with PC’s filmography. And, since I’m neurotically ordered and enjoy meaningless projects, I’ve decided to resurrect this old blog and use it to document my experiences during… Capaldi Fall!

In the coming months, you’ll find a (hopefully daily) update reviewing a PC film, TV episode, or short. Enjoy my entirely inexpert opinions, and we’ll count down the days until Christmas together!

(Note: since I mainlined The Thick of It over a short period of time, a lot of the episodes and their choice bits blend together in my head. As such, I won’t start reviewing it or In the Loop yet – better to save them and revisit at my leisure, to keep things hilarious once I’ve worked my way down to bit roles.)

Let’s get started, shall we?