Watch Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement For Free

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Powerful

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

As good a show these days as it was back in 1996.Always interesting to see what the actors are doing these days.Not just the main cast but the minor players as well.All cast are on top form with stand out performances from Steve Macintosh ,David O Hara, Julia Lane and the ever dependable Helen Mirren .A great script but with a grubby feel of city life with a realistic look at the drug scene. Really enjoyed it again even after eighteen years as it has dated very little.I bought the box set from Amazon and this is by far the best story line from the entire set. 8/10

This review is probably as much a testimonial to British film-making in general as it is to this episode in particular. Note the superb execution of the dialog by almost all the actors, utilizing the English language in a most articulatory and fluid manner (and this is supposedly mere police drama)! Jane Tennison's character, in particular, employs skillful use of the expansive and colorful vocabulary of her native tongue, without being pedantic. Note how she chooses the word "metamorphosed" when describing "The Street's" evolution from a juvenile delinquent to a hard core criminal. As an American citizen, I unfortunately find, in most cases, our typical cinematic fare to rate far below the British Isles when it pertains to the articulation and execution of the English language.That said, this episode in particular is one of the most realistic and hard-hitting crime dramas ever filmed. Note how often you actually see anyone smiling or laughing, except for some doses of dark humor. Helen Mirren shows her finely tuned artistic mettle here as she has to undergo the humiliating transfer to the "northern country", an area totally new to her. Her subordinates are already skeptical of her which makes her segue to her new post even more difficult. She knows this but it doesn't stop her from proceeding along in her indomitable "take-charge" fashion. But it's a few of the little things that separate this dramatic fare from others: note the episode in her apartment in the early morning when she is in a hurry to get going, with one shoe on and desperately looking for the other! A small matter, yet we see in Jane, the super-cop, a subtle vulnerability that is usually absent in similar characterizations. This is downright good writing, directing and acting.The rest of the principals deserve kudos for their work, especially Julia Lane as DI Devanney, David O'Hara as DS Rankine and a stunning, chilling performance by Steven MacKintosh as "The Street". No disrespect intended for the rest of the cast, each of whom carries out the demands of his role to the fullest. It's as if the entire cast is comprised of people already thrust into the social climate depicted in this drama, that they all have lived and seen first hand the shambles of the drug and violence infested inner city.But the gritty reminder that the world is far from being fair smacks us in the proverbial chops as the episode is concluded and some people "just don't get caught"!

"Prime Suspect 4" continues the exploits of the inscrutable and dogged seeker of truth and justice, Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison; the first of three miniseries (PS4, PS5, & PS6) with the notable absence of founding writer Lynda La Plante from the credits. Imbued with the same gritty reality of the first three series, the second three series pit Tennison against the forces of evil while coping with middle age, loneliness, indiscretions, a host of personal and professional problems, and resolutions which are sometimes less than ideal. PS4 conjures two stories while PS5 & PS6 are single stories which find Tennison seeking justice on behalf of the brutally wronged while waging war against institutions which are willing to sacrifice the interests of her victims for those of a greater good. In other words, to prevail, Tennison must overcome both evil and good forces, something which makes the always gray scenarios of the PS series yet grayer and the Tennison wars as much a matter of principle as of finding murderers. Very good stuff which only gets better from series to series. (B+)

Spoilers:At the end of Prime Suspect 4, Jane Tennison was subjected to disciplinary action for disobeying orders, despite her actions resulting in the safe rescue of an abducted woman and the capture of a serial killer. Her enemies used these events to destroy her career in the Metropolitan Police. However, she seemed to develop a personal relationship that could withstand her inner demons.As this series unfolds, Tennison is starting a new job, in exile, in Manchester. No mention is made of her previous relationship. What she finds is a depressed city riddled with crime, in the form of a young ganglord, "the Street". The Street seems untouchable, but Tennison vows to bring him down. She also encounters a young boy, Cameron, who wants law and order. Meanwhile, Tennison's new boss seems to appreciate her skills, as well as her body. Tennison enters into an affair, despite their professional relationship and the fact that he is married.Tennison uncovers a world of street violence, where drugs are mixed in private homes and criminals are cheered by the downtrodden. Her police team seems ineffective, and possibly corrupt. One of them is a promising detective, who is much like Tennison. She immediately finds herself at odds with Tennison, who she respects, but can't understand.Ultimately, this series comes across more like an old gangster movie than the police drama we've come to expect. The Street seems too invincible, for someone operating independently. Added to this is the intriguing, but implausible idea that the Chief Superintendent is in league with the criminal. Also, the affair with Tennison seems out of character for her. Although Tennison has been involved with police officers before, it seems that she would be unlikely to further jeopardize her career by sleeping with her boss. Maybe, at this point, she feels she has nothing to lose, but I don't think so. Again, I think this series has suffered from the absence of Lynda La Plante. The story is still engaging and the performances are good, but the result is less satisfying. Still, this series, even when stumbling, is at a far higher plane than its contemporaries.