Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgement

It just gets better. What's to fault in this one? Is there anything? No. Curious how they interweave string quartet music through it - that's a new one. And it's stark - it brings a quality of immediacy and tragedy to it.

Like all in this series, this has a long running time. Like everything in this series, nothing is set in stone. This is longer than many of the others. It's timed at 200 minutes which means a long time in front of the screen.

But it's worth it. This is a strong drama like all of them, and not in the least because of Steven Mackintosh who plays one of the all-time creeps of silver screen or television.

I checked his filmography and saw he's done quite a lot of work and I was surprised because I don't remember ever seeing him before. He really takes out the stops on this one.

As always the story is well written and deftly directed. It's another masterpiece - and it's for television which is the surprise.

And as always, you have to reckon Taylor Hackford's a lucky man.

Supt. Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) is sent up north. She witnesses an organized thieve ring. The kids she talks to are cynical. Drug mule Nazir is killed and Tennison has a case. The Street is the leader of the drug gang and he's immediately the prime suspect. He sees himself as the celebrity ruler and blessed constantly escaping prosecution. He's not the killer and tries to find the killer himself as a gang war looms. DC Henry Adeliyeka, DI Devanney, and DS Rankine are the main investigators for Tennison who starts sleeping with the married boss. Local kid Campbell Lafferty comes in and confesses to the shooting.

The franchise is going back to the extended episode which ends up with quite a bit of filler. This could easily be turned back to the previous two hour slot. Julia Lane and David O'Hara are great supporting actors in this. There is always Mirren. Steven Mackintosh plays The Street a little over the top. There are scarier ways to play the character. Overall, this is solid Prime Suspect but a little stretched.

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

It's still Prime Suspect so it's good but as far all the other episodes, this one probably is the weakest. The ending is terrible and sloppy. It feels like the director or writer had no clue how to end it so they just slapped this slappy melodrama at the end. But it was very unsatisfactory. And while the plot line had some potential. it too often fell into trite and hackneyed stereotypes. It's good but certainly not the best or even one of the better ones.

Most of the Prime Suspect Series are gritty but this one is the most intense. The nothing to lose attitude of the "bad guys" added with the subtle defeatist attitude of the detective team brings this movie to almost a horror boiling point.

Of course Superintendent Jane Tennison doesn't know or have such problem. Even in this new assignment and new culture Tennison is her usual "get the bad guy at all cost" self. It's a must see but you might not want to watch it alone.