Genres

Visitors Review

paul2001sw-1 2012-05-20 00:34:53

Flat

'The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher', a crime drama based on a true case inVictorion England, has a great cast; but falls flat. It's a mannered,gentle affair, wholly devoid of tension. Mr Witcher investigates acrime, forms suspicions in the absence of cooperation from the localpolice, but comes under political and popular pressure and is unable toconclude his case successfully; years later, some evidence emerges thatsupports his theory; but that's it. We're never given particular reasonto care about the crime; and while we naturally sympathise with theprotagonist, he isn't the crime's victim, and is powerless in the faceof the machinations around him. Perhaps we're so used to crime dramasthat are improbably dramatic that it's hard for a more naturalisticstory to succeed; but it's also fair to say that Victorian Englandnever really comes to life in this tale.

jc-osms 2012-05-19 03:15:58

Suspicious crimes

Based on the best-selling novel, which I've not read, this was high-endcostume-drama based on a true-life child murder in the mid-Victorianera. Thus we get expensive production values in casting, sets andcostumes so that the piece doesn't lack in atmosphere.What it did lack though was suspense as the to all intentsforced-looking circumstantial suspicions of crack Metropolitandetective Whicher somehow turn out some five years after their initialdismissal (leading to the end of his career and descent into penury) tobe true after all. This is probably why so much prominence was given tothe examination of Whicher's character as he is beset by theobstructive local count police force, an unsympathetic local public,jeering local press and yet urged to "get a result" by a combination ofparliamentary pressure, the local judiciary (at least initially) andhis own over-confidence. Given that miscarriages of justice still occurtoday, often for some if not all of the same reasons as stated above,the plot has some relevance to today but is weakened by the act thatWhicher's hunches largely come true. The acting was largely acceptable for TV drama if not exceptional.Somehow though, Addy Considine didn't convince me that he was as drivenas his character's actions would indicate and similarly Peter Capaldifailed to bring passion to his part as the philandering father figurewho recoils from the unpleasant home-truths he's forced to face.For me it was crying out for either a dramatic courtroom finale ormajor plot-twist and delivered neither. If that's because that's howthis true-life adaptation actually played out, then fair enough, but aslatter-day TV drama, I felt it missed its mark.

Tweekums 2012-05-10 01:20:34

A Victorian murder mystery

When a three-year old child is abducted from his cot and murdered in1860 suspicion initially falls on the boy's nanny as he was in her roomat the time; she however is adamant that she is innocent. WhenInspector Whicher is dispatched from London to Wiltshire to take overthe investigation he is inclined to believe her. His suspicion soonfalls on the boy's sister Constance; the problem is he cannot find theevidence he needs and the local constabulary are less than helpful. Asthe case progresses Whicher becomes more and more convinced that she isguilty but the evidence that would send her to the gallows continues toelude him and on the day of the hearing to determine if Constanceshould stand trial it is clear that the villages are all sure of herinnocence.In this day and age we are used to murder mysteries where thedetectives will examine a scene and find DNA, fingerprints and tinytraces of hair before analysing them with high-tech equipment;refreshingly there is none of that here; Whicher must build a case onlargely circumstantial evidence or extract a confession if he is to seethe killer punished… this did lead to a rather sudden ending but as thestory was based on a real case one can't really complain about itsresolution. Paddy Considine put in a fine performance as InspectorWhicher and Alexandra Roach was good as his chief suspect; thesixteen-year old Constance.

2012-05-09 14:18:53

Glaring error in the Editorial synopsis!

Saville's murderer is caught - and confesses. I'd have been put off it if I were a casual browser - lots of people don't like unfinished business!