"Martin's Close" is 30 minutes of wasted time. It has a messed up story that really makes little sense and, as a ghost story, there is nothing very ghostly or scary in the production. The 'ghostly' appearances of the deceased victim bring to mind scenes from the 'Vicar of Dibley' rather than anything else.
The attempts at bringing in some light-hearted and comedic moments are simply misplaced and don't belong. The main characters are weak, particularly the eponymous Martin and ludicrous Judge Jeffreys, and the script is pretty mundane, even banal.
The actors seem to be more 'going through the motions' than being very interested in their parts, Peter Capaldi, as the prosecutor in an ill-fitting wig, being wooden and wholly lacking in any sense of realism. Altogether, it's pretty dire and does no justice whatsoever to the writing of M R James.
The attempts at bringing in some light-hearted and comedic moments are simply misplaced and don't belong. The main characters are weak, particularly the eponymous Martin and ludicrous Judge Jeffreys, and the script is pretty mundane, even banal.
The actors seem to be more 'going through the motions' than being very interested in their parts, Peter Capaldi, as the prosecutor in an ill-fitting wig, being wooden and wholly lacking in any sense of realism. Altogether, it's pretty dire and does no justice whatsoever to the writing of M R James.