David Jason IS Frost

thegulls1

The Brits are famous for casting odd character actors in certain roles-I.e. Robbie Coltrane as Fitz, the Cracker; or, here, David Jason as Inspector Frost. Once installed, you just could not watch anyone else in the role. They are transformed, as we see in the Frost series, when Jason wears his seedy white jacket and red scarf, just like the Frost in the book.

Frost is unhappy, too absorbed in his detective work to enjoy life anywhere else, but too non-conformist to be be deeply admired by the Force. The series has now popped up on BritBox and so a Frost Renaissance begins in my household. Can I say: David Jason's facial expressions, verbal cadence and body language are poetry in motion? This is Art at the Picasso level. Jason can do, in one 5-minute sequence, more to demonstrate emotion or frustration than those CSI clowns show in an entire series. And, subtly, too- it doesn't look like acting-it just looks so real. Hail to the Brits for taking the time to produce a polished finished product.

I recall one scene, where Frost is informing a Mom that her son was found murdered in a public washroom (face down in pissy water on the floor): I swear-the woman was pock-marked and poorly-dressed in the manner of a lower-class Yorkshire cleaning lady, sobbing her eyes out as Frost gives the details. Everything about her is flabby & unprivileged. How do you do a casting call for such a role? It is decidedly non-glamorous. It looks like the crew walked Jason into a tenement, knocked on a few doors until they found a local who could recite a few lines, and started filming!!

Fidelity is what this series offers. Frost is an intriguing guy to watch, as he annoys his subordinates and supervisors, but manages to get results despite taking shortcuts. There's a little Frost in all of us, but sadly, we can't string the record of successes together that would give us immunity from THE MAN.

score 9/10

thegulls1 12 May 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4162975/