The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set 1
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Movie Reviews of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Set 1
Movie Review: Lynley's great!
Summary: 5 Stars
This entire series is typical of the BBC Mystery series. The contrast between Lyndley and his sidekick is entertaining and while some of the murder solving logic may be a bit flawed, the production is very well presented.Movie Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
Inspector Lynley mysteries are great!! I can't wait to see them all. I hope that there are more than 4 sets to buy.Movie Review: Boy, there's just something about this series....
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been catching episodes of Mystery for well over a decade, and to be honest, most of the time it just bores me to tears. I was always attracted to Chandler, Hammett, and John D. MacDonald, when it came to reading mysteries. On the other hand, I've really enjoyed some Dorothy L. Sayers and some Conan Doyle efforts.
So the curious can see how I might have been turned off by the BBC's more quaint efforts, like the annoyingly effete Poirot, or even the overly-PC Heat of the Sun, or whatever it was called. The series just seems to try too hard sometimes. Then again, I was crazy about the Cadfael series. So I'm always willing to give take another chance.
And man, did I hit the jackpot when I caught the second half of 'A Great Deliverance' here in Boston a couple of years ago. I was astonished, but soon forgot about the project, thinking that it was over and done with. Then I caught part of 'For the Sake of Elena.' Again impressed. Finally, a few weeks ago, I happened to catch 'Playing for the Ashes,' and once again I was floored. I decided that I had to own them all. Immediately.
Here's the deal:
1) The shows are cast to perfection. Lynley and Havers are utterly believable in their roles, and manage to achieve that most impressive feat of acting-- conveying in a glance more than is actually said. The most emotionally intense moments are those where little is actually said.
2) The mysteries are solid. While they do make some use of 'trendy' issues (animal rights) and sometimes take another trip to the well of British stereotypes (the lovely hamlet with a dark secret, or the exclusive boys' school with... a dark secret), the stories are so sensitively handled, and so consistently avoid cliches (even in such familiar settings), that they never come across as exploitative or schlocky.
3) The inner lives of the detectives are handled brilliantly. As with the settings, they could easily be hackneyed, but always remain a cut or two above. Havers is a hard-bitten gal with a damn hard life and a grudge against the privileged, while Lynley's an upper-crusty type who always has to prove that he's not a corrupt glory-hound or a stuffed shirt-- and his personal struggle is every bit as intense as the personal crusades of Philip Marlowe. Then there's his rocky personal life, which is diametrically opposed to the classic 40's PI experience. Whew!
It all sounds like a mismatched cop buddy-movie, but the episodes are directed with such confidence, and with such a de-emphasis of these potential pitfalls, that we're able to experience the emotional impact without ever yawning at the premise.
Apart from all that, the Inspector Lynley Myesteries belie their TV roots every step of the way. The photography is stunning, the production design is outstanding, the stories are wonderfully complex, the dialogue is sharp (and in a nod to noir, missing a single line of dialogue can mean that you lose track of the narrative-- listen carefully, and rewind as necessary), and best of all the actors are talented and wonderfully suited to their roles.
I have a collection of about 200 DVDs, but these are the first TV offerings to grace my collection. And I continue to announce that fact with pride to any (fellow?) movie snobs I encounter.
One complaint-- the DVDs present the episodes in just the same format you would see on PBS. Same sponsor ads, minimal menu options (forget about extras-- I was particularly amused by the teaser of 'web access to the Mystery site' offering on the case, which is nothing more than an ad for pbs.org-- shame on you guys!), and a generally half-baked presentation. Nice packaging, though, and the picture quality of the videos is top-notch. Highly recommended.
Finally, I haven't read the books. And I'm not sure I want to at this point. This series has created such an intensely believable tableaux that I'm afraid the more detailed world of George's fiction would detract from my own interaction with the series. That's a first for me. I'm a 'book purist,' so I'm still fairly shocked myself.
Movie Review: Entertaining, but not as good as Morse.
Summary: 4 Stars
I haven't read any of the novels of Elizabeth George, which is probably just as well, since, with very few exceptions, the film versions of novels usually do not do justice to the originals.
The obvious comparison of these dramas is with the Inspector Morse series, which is superior in some ways. Aside from John Thaw's superb acting, Morse was a far more interesting character than Lynley. Lynley is just a bit too perfect to really identify with. Nathaniel Parker is a pretty good actor - it's his character that's the problem. Lynley would be an upper-class "twit" if it weren't that underneath all his good breeding he is basically a decent human being.
Sharon Small does an excellent job as Inspector Sergeant Havers, I think better than Kevin Whately in the Morse series. In fact, the Lynley series gets most of its dramatic strength from the slight lunacy Havers brings to her relationship with Lynley. Havers is highly IMperfect, to the point that no one will work with her but Lynley. Yet she somehow muddles through, sometimes in a big way, which is a big surprise to everyone, including Havers.
Lesley Vickerage does an excellent job as Lynley's love interest, a brilliant and neurotic psychologist and criminal profiler. In the later series she provides additional human complexity to offset Lynley's superb and gentlemanly perfection.
The plots in this first series are not as good as those in the later ones. Still, the view of England and English society is interesting, even if it's just TV. The cultural divergeance between America and England continues, to the point that Havers' accent is often completely incomprehensible, at least to my ear. It's somewhat surprising that an American could write novels about England and English society that are so well-accepted by the English.
Enjoyable viewing for fans of English mysteries.
Movie Review: A rare occurrence of the film version trumping the book
Summary: 4 Stars
I read one of Elizabeth George's books (For the Sake of Elena) and it happens to be one in the first set of Lynley episodes. I was not overly impressed with the book, to be honest, and was a bit wary about watching the show. But all of the issues I had with the books were neatly and wonderfully resolved with the magic of television.
I never had a problem with the storyline or plot of the book - the mysteries are good and solid and translate well into television. My issues were with the writing (descriptive, not dialogue) and mostly with the character of Havers. I think you're supposed to like her in the books, or at least not hate her, but the mental image the descriptions brought to my mind were revolting. She just seems completely unlikeable and annoying, and I really could not understand her interactions with a lot of the other characters. Even her physical description was hard for me to wrap my head around.
In the series, though, the questions about her appearance are put to rest and she seems a lot less irritating. The character on the show is a little offbeat and prickly, but in a likable way. Perhaps if I've kept reading the books I would have eventually come to like her character, but from the first episode of the show I enjoyed her and Lynley and their interactions.
I still probably won't read any more of the books, but will definitely be checking out the rest of the series. Anyone who likes British police/detective shows (Midsomer Murders, Hamish MacBeth, Murder in Suburbia, Foyle's War, etc) should check this one out.