Spall, despite not physically resembling Irving very much, captures his manipulative intellect and arrogance well. It's not in any way a balanced portrayal though - there's no light to the shade. Even the lighter scene of Irving with a younger member of his family feels slightly disturbing.
Weisz's Lipstadt isn't quite as strong, and that's partly because a deliberate and probably wise strategy not to pit her against Spall's Irving. But she does bring a quiet and impassioned sense of justice. A couple of shout outs to Wilkinson's Rampton, and Scott for finding another slightly oily character.
The way the case against Irving is built (including a spine shivering visit to Auschwitz) was exceptionally told and gave me a new found respect for the subtleties of English law and those who practice it.
Verdict: Powerfully impressive takedown.
No comments:
Post a Comment