Lack of good storyline.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Absolutely the worst movie.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Alternating timelines - the 'go to' plot device that the people who make TV love - and people who watch TV hate! But in this case, it works well and actually makes sense. Also - it's not too confusing for the viewer!Some well-known faces from every other TV drama are wheeled out in this above average drama. Some will find their faces reassuring - others (like me) will find them annoying... especially Juliet Stevenson who is just too overexposed to the point where I can no longer see past the face of an actress into the soul of a character.But that aside, this is still a pretty captivating addition to the library of British commercial television drama... even though the ending is pretty silly and very implausible.The story is about a documentary maker (Stevenson) who delves back half a century into the mystery of a missing child for which her step-father was hung for murder.Greg Wise who plays the stepfather is the stand out here. He's another seemingly never out of work actor who shows up several times a year on TV in something or other. But this role is a true masterclass. His expressions of initially evil and eventually fear are worth a thousand words.There are themes of family skeletons and police evidence tampering played out against a backdrop of domestic friction. The investigator is having a tough time ignoring her daughter as she seems to be a wannabe goth! But she plows on with her important work anyway. Meanwhile, in another life, a young detective on his first missing persons case, struggles with his colleagues as he is determined to hang a man for murder despite having no body. The court scenes are very intimidating and the hanging is also very dramatic.So - if you can stomach seeing the same old faces on your TV and you're willing to put up with a rather convoluted final act then it's worth your time.

British suspense mini-series are a kind of trade mark, always giftedly thought through, directed and performed using distinct and mostly character actors able to provide new angles even when the background or matter are not fully to your taste.Place of Execution is another good example of the above, with past and present thrillingly intertwined, when viewers can ponder on and over what really could happen and what answers could the present bring along... Actors like Juliet Stevenson or Lee Ingleby are catchy both appearance-wise and performance-wise, and all the cast, even in smaller roles, are just fit for them, providing realistic atmosphere. On the other hand, some pace and some logic of events left to be desired, but it may well be so that I am just "spoilt" by similar other British and Scandinavian series...Nevertheless, the work in question is definitely above average, but the length - 3.5 hours - requires you find a time for this. Preferably in succession.

"A Place of Execution" is heavily dependent on the character of Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson), a reporter investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl, and the role of detective George Bennett (Lee Inglesby and, later, Philip Jackson) in solving the case. The girl's step-father, Philip Hawkin (Greg Wise) is suspected of abusing her sexually and of subsequently killing her. It turns out that he is guilty of raping her and other youngsters but not of killing her. After a trial, he is hanged for the crime he did not commit. It's a nicely plotted story and might have made an better TV series if Juliet Stevenson were strong enough to carry her end. Unfortunately, I did not find her especially convincing. Greg Wise is splendid and both Inglesby as the younger Bennett and Philip Jackson as the older Bennett handle their roles admirably. The ending is a bit improbable. However, I suspect that there would be many fewer successful crime stories if improbabilities were disallowed.

I found this adaptation of Val McDermid's novel to be extremely atmospheric and well acted. The actors chosen to play the "older" versions were uncannily like their younger counterparts, especially George Bennett. In NZ this was broken into two episodes which is perhaps why I couldn't figure out/remember Catherine's early relationship with the Manor. In fact, my only quibble with the programme was that Catherine's phone call to, and the appearance of, her mother near the end were very contrived. Apart from that, I thought this was an excellent production. I have gone back to reread the book which,now that I know what happens, gives the game away in a subtle way in the prologue. The TV adaptation can't quite bring in the feeling of the book - the first part set at the time of the Moors Murder, & the isolation & bleakness of Scardale.I didn't find the time shifting confusing but in the book there are two separate books and Catherine is writing a book, not doing a TV documentary.