The Cater Street Hangman

I enjoy Anne Perry's novels, both Thomas Pitt and also William Monk (which would have also made good material for a movie). But I had in mind someone more like Alan Rickman in his younger days. Is there no one able to speak as he does, coming up in the ranks of actors? The character of Charlotte would have been better with someone a little stronger in ability to make Charlotte the determined character she was. I am sure everyone pictures their own ideals when reading a book, but changing the story a bit doesn't bother me as much as making the characters not fit the story. Thomas Pitt was described as having a beautiful voice and brown, not blonde, hair. Anyway. I do so wish they would try a movie using William Monk and his friend, a nurse from the Crimea. (By the way, AP's books have also become audio books, the best ones read by David McCallum, another gentleman with a talented and wonderful voice). I do believe they may have tried making this one because it is the first of the Inspector Pitt series. The stories get better as time progresses. Making one like Pentecost Alley, or Ashworth Hall would be much more entertaining. To have pitted the future of other dramatizations on this one book, was not a good idea as can be seen.

While liberties were taken with the original story by Anne Perry, the Cater Street Hangman was very true to the overall feeling of the novel. Eoin McCarthy did an outstanding job as Inspector Pitt - very believable. Keeley Hawes also did wonderful work as the much-oppressed, liberal-minded woman of Victorian times. I wasn't interested in Anne Perry's work until after I had watched this movie, and I hope to see more adaptations of this series in the near future.

This is a well acted TV mystery movie. I have not read the book on which it is based, but it is a story about young women being strangled in London in the 19th century, and the circumstances surrounding the investigation of two of the murders. Several characters emerge from these investigations to jolly the story along.

However, I found the characters to be stereotypical and shallow. The movie's view of the 19th century is lightweight, and all the characters - dastardly males, entrenched class snobs, decent humble servants, rebellious daughters, caring professional policemen, etc. - are cardboard cut-outs. I found the story to be crushingly predictable and boring.

If you like easy dramas, you will enjoy this.

I think it was a fantastic movie all the actors and actresses were really great and it was a gorgeous film and it showed just how people were treated who were in a lower class and how the rich treated them as well.

While the Victorian social and moral notions are roasted as thoroughly as a movie can without losing sight of the murder mystery plot, I especially welcome the degree of detailed accuracy enforced in the wardrobe, the accessories and hair. The stiffness of the fabrics, the bustles, the cropped fringes and the minimal makeup reinforced the feel and look of the rising middle classes in 1880s Victorian London. Kudos to the staff and departments ruling those decisions. Thankfully that very realism makes this production very tricky to date so little of the movie's contemporary make-up and hair styling filtered through.That is too rare these days...that I had to look the date up.