Trial and Retribution: Set 1
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: David Hayman, Dorian Lough, Gemma Jones, Kate Buffery, Victoria SmurfitBrand: Acorn
Writer: Lynda La Plante
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 804 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Trial and Retribution: Set 1
Movie Review: One of the VERY BEST crime-dramas ever produced!
Summary: 5 Stars
Those familiar with the British crime-drama series Prime Suspect will already be familiar with the top-notch writing skills of Lynda La Plante, and those who've enjoyed Prime Suspect will certainly enjoy Trial & Retribution. This is a highly engrossing, intellectually satisfying, consummately acted series with strong, richly woven, impeccably written storylines that draw one in and keep one enrapt throughout.
Unlike Prime Suspect, this series centres around the lives of two senior police officers and the ensuing relationship (both personal and professional) between them. Detective Superintendent Mike Walker (David Hayman) is a feisty, intense, no-nonsense little Jack Russell who rips the filters off his cigarettes. A Scotsman with a nose for the business and a loathing for criminal scum, he's a cop who gets results. He's not, however, a very nice man; more to the point, from a human standpoint he's actually very flawed--a fact which becomes increasingly (indeed disturbingly) more evident as the series progresses.
Personality-wise, Detective Inspector Pat North (Kate Buffery) is Mike's polar opposite--well, she'd have to be in order to get along with Mike. A bit rumpled, even haggard in appearance, she's serious, concientious, and ambitious, but she takes things at a calmer more methodical pace, thinking things out first rather than shooting from the hip (as Mike tends to do).
Another feature which distinguishes this series from Prime Suspect (or most other crime-dramas for that matter) is that each episode follows the crime not only through the amassing of evidence and eventual arrest of a suspect but through the trial as well. Of course, once the trial commences, time is of the essence should any new evidence come to light! This is a series which is superbly acted by the strongest of casts, and the actors portraying the barristers are no exceptions. I was particularly captivated by their consummately orated soliloquies and examinations of witnesses--one really is on the edge of one's seat throughout.
No review of this exceptional series would be complete without mention of the highly sophisticated and innovative directing. The show will often break into a split screen (for example when a witness is describing what he or she saw) which has proven to be a highly effective technique. It was La Plante's innovation (and one which she had to fight for), and lest one thinks it sounds weird and intrusive, it is done so professionally and smoothly that the transitions are barely noticeable.
British or otherwise, of all the crime dramas ever produced, Trial & Retribution is one of the very best ever made (and is my own personal favourite), and I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. It is unpredictable, intelligent, rivetting, and very sophisticatedly directed, not to mention flawlessly acted. It is also highly realistic (La Plante, who also produced the series, had her scripts edited by various police and forensic specialists for accuracy). This boxed set includes the first four series made between 1997 and 2000, each of which consists of one 200-minute story split into two 100-minute episodes. Nineteen series have been made to date (of which I've seen about half) with more in the works. I can only hope that Acorn will release this series in its entirety--if any series deserves a complete release, this one does! Finally, if you enjoy this series and are looking for other top-notch crime-dramas, I also recommend The Commander (also by La Plante) and The Vice (starring Ken Stott).
Summary of Trial and Retribution: Set 1
"Powerful, inventive" -- The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
"Terrific" -- The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Crime-to-court suspense from Lynda La Plante
No one explores the human cost of crime and punishment with more depth and resonance than Lynda La Plante, creator of the critically lauded Prime Suspect. In this Law & Order-like British series, La Plante follows cases from the commission of the crime to the trial of the accused. She examines grueling, pressure-packed police investigations in all their gritty detail?the sudden insight that can crack a case and the careless mistake that can jeopardize justice. Going behind closed doors, she reveals the strategies of both prosecution and defense as they maneuver toward a final verdict.
With its first-rate cast, innovative direction, and daring storytelling, Trial & Retribution ratchets up suspense at every turn. No emotions are spared, and no characters emerge unscathed in this unflinching detective drama.
Starring David Hayman (A Sense of Freedom, Sid & Nancy) and Kate Buffery (Wish Me Luck), with guest stars Simon Callow, Richard E. Grant, Rhys Ifans, James Wilby, Helen McCrory, Iain Glen, Hugh Dancy, and Corin Redgrave.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE interview with creator Lynda La Plante, biography of Lynda La Plante, and glossary of terms.
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