Idris Elba smoulders onto our screens this Spring as DCI John Luther
Luther
BBC One, Tuesday May 4th, 9PM
Preview clip below
Rating: 
Idris Elba doesn’t so much explode, but smoulder onto the BBC this spring with a strong performance in what looks like being one of the best new home grown dramas in a long time.
The deal is this – John Luther is a London cop … but not just any cop, he gets his (wo)man using unorthodox methods which tread the fine line between brilliance and negligence. He’s Jack Bauer without the terrorists and his backup team are CTU without the guns or technology. Actually, it’s not much like 24 at all.
For fans of The Wire, Stringer Bell is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch. Mr Elba as maverick British cop John Luther appears older, scruffier, and Canning Townier (if that is a real phrase) than his American alter-ego. The Baltimore drawl has gone and now he’s (just about) on the right side of the law … but there’s still enough vulnerable sex appeal to leave the ladies swooning.
We’re introduced to Luther as he questions a suspect who is hanging by his fingertips over a broken scaffold walkway, our uber-cop seems unperturbed. This pre-title sequence has everything you could ask from this sort of drama – action, suspense and dare I say … disaster.
Seven months later, after a lengthy period of time on gardening leave to recover from a breakdown, Luther is back. Most bosses would shy away from this volatile character, but his straight talking superior DSU Teller (Saskia Reeves) knows that Luther’s brilliance is always worth the risk.
Things get metaphysical as Luther finds himself investigating a murder where the culprit “doesn’t leave evidence, just an evidence shaped absence.” Wonderfully scripted scenes ensue as discussions of Occam’s Razor descend into flurries of armchair philosophy and psycho-babble. Although such pretension would usually turn me off, here it is done so subtly, so carefully and so thoughtfully that it adds to, rather than detracting from the tension and intrigue.
Meanwhile, Luther’s personal life is about to take a turn for the worse as his wife Zoe (Indira Varma) has something to tell him, and it might just bring Paul McGann into the mix. This confession opens yet another side to an already complex character illustrating his vulnerabilities, frailties and inabilities as at the same time the suspect he is hunting down, Alice (Ruth Wilson) antagonises his deepest darkest fears about life and love.
The show is a directorial masterpiece. Orchestrated by Brian Kirk, every shot is beautifully framed and intricately crafted to create a dark and intense world which matches the murky and confusing psyche of our protagonist.
A mixture of fixed cameras and hand held, reflections, micro-time jumps and sweeping long-shots keep you on the edge of your seat as the screw gets turned in Neil Cross’s tight unpredictable story lines. Long Becket-esque scenes of silent contemplation draw you into Luther’s mind before being broken by well selected music, a director’s best friend when used well, and here it is used with aplomb.
It is worrying how far you get drawn into his head as Luther’s shattered personal life becomes inseparably entangled with his work. Forget the answers, sometimes the hardest thing to do is work out what the question is?
This is a six part drama, and in the first episode a lot of threads are opened … one can only hope that the following five parts can tie them up … but if this instalment is anything to go by, satisfaction will be guaranteed.
Preview of the show
Idris’ new movie looks exceptionally action-packed and entertaining. He is the type of guy that seems to become the character he portrays, which means he takes his work very seriously. So far, I have enjoyed every movie he has ever made. I think he is already a Superstar and we will hear and see a lot more of him now and in the future. There is no doubt in my mind, this new movie is an overnight success. This is what I wish for Idris all the time.