FORMAT: DVD
Hackneyed Tripe
Rather too many characters for its own good and a plot that floats around rather too much make this a bright and breezy political whodunit - but little more.
The writer cannot decide whether the emphasis should be on the political machinations or just the murder mystery. This indecision means the mystery is trite while the political underpinnings – that could have made the drama more compelling from the outset – are left to the end; when it is far too late to get us excited either way. Because of this, this serial is really not about anything much more than brazenly filling tv schedules with an overlong thriller whose length, thus, has far less to do with the weight of the story or any serious ideas expressed. It is complicated as a direct result of an attempt to vainly conceal the fact that it is over-warmed, hackneyed tripe.
The journalism procedural aspect of the drama is fascinating to watch as the journalists slowly obtain information from unwilling witnesses with smart subterfuge. However, this is not enough to justify the six episode length in its lacking a certain subtlety and wit with its plot heaviness and limited character development. The meandering nature of the story leaves it bereft of political insight as to either the machinations of power or the purpose of such intrigue – and there is little point to a drama that does not deal with human motivations. This works is decidedly unfocussed but just compelling enough to make you see it through to the final unmasking of the killer.
Some very good actors are wasted on a weak script, with the sole exception of Marc WARREN as a desperately scared for his life informer in chief. He sweatily communicates his fear as he continually changes his story to help cover his own misdeeds and fear of violent retribution from those he informs on. He rises well above the weak material.
The epileptic camerawork – as usual – adds nothing to the drama’s credibility and only makes the audience see how hard the filmmakers are trying to make this all seem up to the minute and topically relevant. The characterizations are thin and the style adds no emotional or psychological dimension to the proceedings. The Hollywood cinema remake is much better because it distils what is best here by trimming all the fat and leaving only the lean.
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