Strong and Moving!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I do not write often, I have written maybe 30 reviews, mainly because of time. I write this review in rebuke of writer "rightwingisevil (United States)" I find the comments a very poor reading and note that nearly 71 people also disagree. This is as the aforementioned writes, claims British crime thriller, it does not have cars screaming around corners, it does not have over the top cops with magnums more likely found in Texas or people from there. It is subtle, like most British films and relies on peoples thought, not their eyes seeing loud thunderous noises and special effects. This is the second time I have seen this film, and still right until the end, I was not 100% sure of who did it. Yes, I think some characters roles where not played to their fullness however those that were, deserve applauded.Yes this is not a Starsky & Hutch Crime story, nor is it meant to be. No it is not an award winning film, however, without the extreme violence found in US stories similar, it is a decent good watch. I remind people in the US that "Murder She Wrote" was exactly what the aforementioned person states are "Female English writers", the same of Murder She Wrote which at its time was a hit, I am sure in its present form it would not be, however it enjoyed a great run on US TV before the violence that the US is now synonymous with.Do not expect Wuthering Heights, but be perplexed by the players in this mid-range mystery, so totally British.

I'm surprised by the generally negative reviews for this production. Some reviewers seem to want the writers to re-write history to replicate an Agatha Christie story. The fact is, this story was based on reality, not on Christie's tropes and formulas. The fact is, sometimes crimes work out as this one did, with an unsatisfying ending. The detective doesn't call all the suspects to a meeting where he reveals his genius at deduction, or cause the suspect to reveal him/herself in dramatic fashion.I found this well acted and well written. Not great, but quite good, and well worth the watching. Maybe if Captain Hastings' grandfather had showed up for comic relief, more people would have liked it. Personally, I found the straight drama well done and satisfying.

The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher is based on Kate Summerscale's book of the same name. This book is not a novel: rather it is a factual (and, if truth be told, rather dry) recounting of the facts of the case and everything relating to it (including the individuals involved) based on the original documentary evidence.The film concentrates on the case and doesn't tell us very much about the backgrounds of Mr Whicher, the Kent family, detection within the English police force and how it was viewed by the public, and so on. As such it, too, is a little dry, although the drama inherent in the story is augmented by performance drama.The film may disappoint because the conclusion is somewhat perfunctory and the "what happened afterwards", delivered at length on the course of a couple of lengthy chapters in the book, is here given over the space of three or four title cards.

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER is about one of the first British detectives, who is called to investigate the murder of a child in Victorian Wiltshire, only to discover the case is more complex than previously thought. Part of ITV's recent spending spree on quality drama to counter-act it's image as the channel of THE X FACTOR and BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT, this is a rather thin drama that is a good half-hour too long. The drama is based on a historical case and whilst this adds authenticity it also interferes with the quality of the narrative. Real life is complex and odd and therefore more difficult to turn into compelling TV than fictional crime, which can be made to fit the narrative perfectly.The acting, camera-work, editing and production values are all good but the screenplay suffers by trying to fit reality to a fictional template. Following Inspector Whicher's investigation as a whodunnit simply doesn't work. Partly because of the lack of twists and turns to maintain tension. Partly because Whicher is unable to prove whodunnit and therefore the denouement is thoroughly unsatisfying.Ultimately it turns out that fiction is often more compelling than reality. This isn't bad TV, just thin material stretched too far.