Shot by Shot Reviews of Film and TV

There is something very lovable about David Mitchell. I have watched him since the days of That Mitchell And Webb Look, as one half of a comedy duo showcasing a playful intellectual sense of humour which brought me in on the joke without talking down to me. Later, the unique points of view explored in Peep show was enjoyable and more recently the wonderfully crisp wit of Upstart Crow written by Ben Elton will be missed where he played an energetic William Shakespeare impressed by his own ability to churn out the most diabolical puns as he worked out his plays while navigated the world of intrigue that was the Elizabethan Theatre scene. So it was with some expectation that I came to Ludwig, which in the face of it is a murder of the week procedural with Mitchell playing the titular role, and his identical twin. A famous puzzle-maker, Ludwig, is brought out of his solitude by his sister-in-law, to help her unravel the mysterious disappearance of his brother, a Police Detective, who disappeared with only an ominous letter left behind. Ludwig must impersonate his brother and solve the puzzle of his disappearance.

As I said at the outset – Mitchell is a very lovable personality on screen. He can play somebody on a higher intellectual level than the rest of us and yet ground him for us. My favourite line in the show comes from Ludwig, delivered pitch perfect in response to a construction site manager asking him mockingly, “Scared of heights, Detective?”
“Nobody’s ever given me a reason not to be.”

Murder mysteries have been explored from every conceivable angle over the past 125 years. The investigator as an old woman? A man with a funny accent? A priest? A nun? A private eye? A policeman? A man who makes magic tricks? There’s nothing unique about Ludwig’s puzzle obsession. He approaches every mystery as he would a puzzle. But while the mysteries themselves are not on the level of a Jonathan Creek episode, the show is watchable TV primarily because of David Mitchell. He is thankfully well-supported by the cast. Anna Maxwell Martin is a particular standout playing his sister-in-law, clawing her way deeper into the mystery regardless of the danger it might pose for her. The direction, cinematography and script-writing all serve one another well in bringing about some good twists and revelations, making for a good first season that might act as a solid foundation for the show going on. The music adds a lovely flourish, weaving Beethoven melodies into the theme to reflect the influence of that Ludwig on this Ludwig, and it all comes together as a cosy package that rarely had me rolling my eyes, which is hard to stop myself doing with the quality of entertainment these days.

At the end of the day, I am glad to have another opportunity to watch David Mitchell’s awkward charm on screen, and I look toward to the second season with great anticipation.