Cadfael - The Holy Thief
by Sebastian Graham Jones
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Derek Jacobi, Julian Firth, Mark Charnock, Michael Culver, Terrence HardimanDirector: Sebastian Graham Jones
Writer: Simon Burke
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-01-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Cadfael - The Holy Thief
Movie Review: Holy bones and unholy plots
Summary: 4 Stars
In the Middle Ages, relics -- especially bones and body parts -- were a big draw for pilgrims and worshipers.
Unfortunately the bones of Welsh saint Winifred seem to cause an awful lot of trouble for Cadfael -- especially in "The Holy Thief." Derek Jacobi is simply brilliant once more as a clever soldier-turned-monk with a knack for finding evidence, even surrounded by devious abbots, arrogant soldiers and too much water.
During a torrential rainstorm, arrogant Abbot Herluin (George Irving) and his novice Tutilo (Benedict Sandiford) arrive at the Abbey. Their home, Ramsey Abbey has been burned -- and Herluin wants to "borrow" St. Winifred's bones to fund the rebuilding.
Unfortunately the snotty abbot quickly gets on Cadfael's bad side, especially in his nastiness to the beautiful slave Daalny (Louise Delamere), whom Tutilo is visibly struck by. When a rich patron leaves Tutilo a jeweled necklace that could easily rebuild the abbey, Herluin throws a fit and demands to have the bones anyway. But then the bones, the necklace and Daalny all go missing.
Cadfael finds the bones and the girl, and later the cart's driver. Of course, he's been murdered -- and all the evidence is against Tutilo. As Herluin and the arrogant Lord Beaumont (Richard Lintern) claim that St. Winifred wants to be with them, Cadfael tries to clear Tutilo's name before he's hung for his holy crime -- and a very unholy murder.
People with SADS should avoid watching "The Holy Thief," mainly because it's a pretty dreary affair visually -- lots of mud, torrential rain, chilly forests and pale light. And the look at medieval England is anything but glamorous -- everything is slightly damp and grimy, even in the relatively comfortable surroundings of the abbey.
But as a mystery, it's a nice solid adaptation of Ellis Peters' novel: religious strife, civil war, a murder that only Cadfael can solve, and a bit of cute romance as well. And aside from the whole murder thing, there are subplots involving Daalny's slavery, and the people who just want St. Winifred for their own greedy purposes. One particularly beautiful and haunting scene involves using the Bible to figure out what the saint's will is, surrounded by burning candles and flower petals.
Derek Jacobi is casually brilliant as the soldier-turned-monk Cadfael, a calm and spiritual man who can blaze up when the well-being of his patients and friends is affected (My lord, you CREEP ALONG THE GROUND!"). And he's backed by some solid supporting actors in the prissy Julian Firth, Michael Culver, and the stately Terrence Hardiman. Anthony Green (as Hugh Beringar) comes across as rather snotty and wooden, though.
It also has some solid side performances -- Irving is wonderfully despicable as the self-righteous, slimy Herluin, who disdains Cadfael because of his past as a soldier. Sandiford is also quite good as Heluin's opposite (a naive, sweet-natured young novice) and his blossoming relationship with the beautiful Delamere is adorable.
"Cadfael: The Holy Thief" is a nice solid mystery in an excellent series, with solid acting and a seemingly ironclad case. And Jacobi rules, period.
Summary of Cadfael - The Holy Thief
Suspicion falls on the holy, the holier-than-thou, and the unholy when the sacred relics of Saint Winifred are stolen from the abbey and the pious prior of a fallen monastery and a greedy land baron both lay claim to them. Kidnapping, the jewel robbery, and murder only complicate the efforts of Brother Cadfael--worldly monk, medieval detective, secular humanist before his time--to separate holy miracle from worldly conspiracy. Derek Jacobi fills Brother Cadfael with a warmth to match his logic and a passion for justice that stands in contrast to the often fatal superstition of his world (trial by water as binding law). This episode is one of the darkest and most interesting entries in the series.The DVD features a brief audio interview with Derek Jacobi, historical background to the struggle between King Stephen and Queen Maude over the throne, stills, filmographies, and Ellis Peters bio and booklist. --Sean Axmaker
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