I only just recently caught this fiendishly gripping 80s Ruth Rendell thriller on the telly box, and it proved to be quite brilliant entertainment. Ably produced by the BBC, 'An Affair in Mind' is an engrossing, compellingly acted, smartly written Neo-Noir enlivened by some expert vamping from Amanda Donohoe as sultrily sinuous siren Drusilla Janus. The acclaimed Ruth Rendell novel 'The Face of Trespass' is engagingly adapted by screenwriter Michael Baker. Affable, handsome, appetizingly lithe, yet somewhat Naive scrivener Graham Harston/Gray (Stephen Dillane) enjoys a steamily edifying, increasingly obsessive affair with spoiled, volatile, dazzlingly attractive Dru, the stylish, well-to-do wife of elusive wealthy property developer 'Tiny' (Richard Hammat).
While plainly made for TV, this remains an excitingly erotic mystery with razor-honed twists, tersely dramatic interludes, and a dizzyingly climactic conclusion. In the thrilling final act the increasingly beleaguered, Gray fatefully discovers that his sensual paramour's ardent pillow talk may have been entirely less than ingenuous! Competently directed by, Colin Luke, and along with dishy dynamo Donahoe, one of the more luminous aspects of this captivating thriller is composer, Nigel Hess's terrific score. Fans of the London Underground may appreciate that the pacy thriller features a brief sequence at the rarely-seen "Theydon Bois" Central line station. Undeservedly obscure, 'An Affair in Mind' is ripe for rediscovery, and I'm quite sure that a restored DVD/Blu-ray would be most welcome to a great many vintage mystery fans!
