Paul Ritter unexpectedly died of a brain tumour yesterday, aged 54. Here, he's typically accomplished as a wily and hard-nosed newspaper editor. It's a great loss.
Jake Arnott's novel, adapted by Ed Whitmore, is based on a true cop killer who murdered three policemen in 1966, and follows the murderer for twenty years until he's finally apprehended (in fact he was caught in three months). (Arnott wrote 'The Long Firm' too.) It's disgraceful how the killer gains some popularity amongst idiots, including hire-a-mob types, but the truly disgusting scene in the film is the police attacking and assaulting a group of harmless campaigners. So yes, it's not just a manhunt.
At the centre is Rafe Spall, whose buddy Liam Garrigan is one of the victims, their shared girlfriend Kelly Reilly, the killer himself, Mel Raido and his mum Maureen Lipman, and a journalist who befriends her, Steven Robertson (a wobbly performance). Also appearing are James Dreyfus, Stanley Townsend, Bryan Dick and Kate Dickie, Neil Maskell and Tom Payne (the son).
Photographed by the most talented David Odd in his verité style, but also with great lighting. Edited by Tania Reddin (lots of ITV productions, an early one being Shergold's Dirty Filthy Love), fabulous music by Ben Bartlett (Vera).
The murders which end episode one are artfully cut against Dusty Springfield's 'If You Go Away', to such heartbreaking and potent effect that the credits that run after were silent, with no announcer. But those two endings with Riley and Spall looking into camera do not work for me at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment