After the success of Sherlock, Dracula, and of course Doctor Who, power duo Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue have returned with crime thriller, Inside Man. Now it goes without saying that I will watch any show that these two make, but once I saw who was in it, I had a full blown orgasm. Stanley Tucci. David Tennant. Need I say more?
Those who know me know of my undying love for the Tennant. Yes, I may be a wee bit biased, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a series that that deserves a lot more attention than it’s actually getting.
Angels and Demons
Inside Man follows two key characters. The first is vicar Harry Watling (David Tennant), who finds himself in a battle between good and evil, as he tries to protect the dark secret of one of his churchgoers. The second is death row murderer Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci) who is a genius at deducing crimes in extremely Sherlockian manner. While most crime dramas follow a sort of cat and mouse method, Moffat and Vertue flip that formula on its head, deciding to tell two stories concurrently, one in the USA and one over in the UK. So much so that the two main stars only share one scene together.
There is an abiding mystery here that works on many levels. In true Moffat style, you are constantly left wondering how these two tales are eventually going to intersect. And it’s only at the very end that you will finally understand his masterplan.
The genius in this approach is that it gives you the time to truly understand and connect with both characters, establishing both performers, before giving us the pleasure of watching them play off one another. Which makes it all the more powerful when that moment finally arrives.
Inside Out
Tennant and Tucci absolutely shine in this, delivering performances that I can only call a masterclass in acting. Watching Tennant struggle between right and wrong doesn’t just make you sympathise with him, but also forces you to reflect on your own mortality as well. Tucci is also at his finest here. His intensely intelligent criminal is someone you cannot help but be glued to and root for the entire way through. Both actors deliver stand out performances that need to be seen to be believed.
Special mention must also be given to Dolly Wells in well in her role as Janice Fife. While not sharing a majority of screen time, her journey of manipulation and mind games is an incredibly enjoyable watch. Her take on the character makes you question her motives and choices all the way through.
Another high point with Inside Man is the cinematography. The painting of scenes, be it with lights or reflections in mirrors, are incredibly clever. The blocking. The composition and framing. All of it is so perfect that you should snap screenshots and frame them up as works of art. It is honestly that gorgeous to look at.
Television Gold
While being an incredibly addictive and intriguing watch, there are however some major downsides, which should come as no surprise to anyone who knows Moffat’s work. While he truly took his time to flesh out the entire story, one has to question what his thought process was for the intense final moments of the series.
The last 20 minutes feel like a pressure cooker had exploded and destroyed everything and everyone in the process. Deaths you never saw coming. Swinging bread knives with whoosh noises. Screaming matches. It all almost felt like he wanted to wrap this up so quickly that he just ends up throwing every trope at us.
Which brings us to the big question of where we go from here. This four episode series ends on something of a cliffhanger, leaving us wondering what the next step is in the journey of this unlikely duo. I for one like the idea of this unconventional Holmes and Watson team up. Tucci and Tennant are a recipe for success and even though that ending was a little haphazard, the both of them remain worth the price of admission alone.
Now, if you’ve made it this far into my Tucci and Tennant love fest, then I highly encourage that you watch this series as soon as possible. If you could binge watch the interminably long fourth season of Stranger Things, then you are more than capable of sitting through this four hour journey. Moffat + Vertue + Tennant + Tucci = Television Gold.
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