Death in Holy Orders

After recently seeing Martin Shaw in a Poirot episode, where he was superb, I was happy to see him in another film. He didn't shine as brightly in this two-part miniseries, but still was mildly interesting to watch, as were the two episodes.

At a seminary where Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh (Shaw) visited as a youth, four suspicious deaths happen, one obviously murder. The seminary is facing closure, its artifacts turned over to the Church of England, including a papyrus that disputes the resurrection of Jesus. Is that why people are dying?

Two other detectives are brought in at one point to help Commander Dalgliesh solve the murders, which was only distracting to the story. His possible love interest was also only distracting, in my opinion. Plus, the vivid sex scenes between two other characters were totally unnecessary and icky.

I figured out long before the end who the killer probably was, solely by who the actor was, but had no idea about the real motive. While it certainly was a no-regrets watchable miniseries, it left no lasting impression, not even Martin Shaw's performance.

I was a little surprised when I turned on this Inspector Dalgleish and found out that he is now Martin Shaw and not Roy Marsden. Worse yet, after making the character of Dalgleish so popular, P.D. James apparently told someone she likes Shaw better. How's that for gratitude.

At any rate, I was so distracted by the fact that it was a new Dalgleish that it was hard at first to concentrate on the film. And it's a good one. Dalgleish returns to a seminary where he spent happy days as a teenager to see if a suicide could have been murder. The seminary is in danger of being closed, and the archdeacon who is interested in its demise is on the premises, as is the detective who accused the archdeacon of killing his wife and as a result, lost his career. When the bodies start dropping around him, Dalgleish realizes the seminary has other problems besides possibly closing.

This is a multilayered story with wonderful characterizations thanks to the script and cast, including the handsome Jesse Spencer, Alan Howard, Clive Wood, and Poirot's old partner in crime, Hastings, Hugh Fraser.

As for Martin Shaw, I have no memory of the Dalgleish books and Dalgleish as he is written by James. Shaw gives a very subtle, underplayed performance of a gentle man in pain from loss and afraid to reach out again. He's very good, just took some getting used to.

A classic, typical P D James story, well filmed for television. I actually saw Martin Shaw's other outing as Dalgliesh (The Murder Room) before this one, but I liked him better here, possibly because there was less of a soppy subplot in this case. Good acting all round, here, with special praise due to Robert Hardy, who is always good value, and to Jesse Spencer as the troubled head ordinand. Julia MacKenzie does a super turn, too. The plot is full of interest and is grippingly told in three hours. The only weakness in my view is the location. The college is supposed to be on a cliff that's being eaten away by the sea, but we never see it properly at all. All we are shown is the silhouette of a tower on a cliff, plus close-up shots of what could be more or less any old ecclesiastical buildings. Small budget, I suppose, but a shame, because it would have been good to get a fuller feeling for the claustrophobia of the college in its windswept location, battered by the forces of nature. Nevertheless, well worth seeing.

Martin Shaw is a great Dalgleish: very humane. There were several other excellent performances. The portrayal runs close to the book and the characters very convincing for the most part. My only real disappointment was Victoria Scarborough's portrayal of Inspector Kate Miskin. Her smirking during the interviewing of two of the characters in particular was actually very distracting, and it was good for one of them to put her in her place. That didn't fit with my remembrance of the book. Also I cannot imagine anyone giving answers to a police officer who acted in that way in real life. It smacked too much of the 'good cop/bad cop' which appears too frequently in fictional films. Overall though, it was a great two part film.

I have never been fan of murder mysteries, like Miss Maple and Inspector Morse.

I usually lose interest half way through. I wanted to see this drama after buying the book by PD James and because i never got round to reading it. I decided to watch the drama.

The acting was first class, especially Jesse Spencer character Raphael Arbuthnot. I had only ever seen him in Neighbours. His English accent was very convincing and his acting on whole was nothing short of superb.

The drama is three hours long. It was showed over two nights in England. I set the recorder. It is a great piece of drama to watch, compelling viewing. I was never bored. They are so many various characters all at some point who will become suspects in Adam Dalglish investigation. He is the PD James creation. And like all detectives he draws the audience into the drama as he goes about solving the crime.

I don't want to give any of the plot away. The drama is set in the East Anglian coast at a Theological College, where men train to become priest. Adam Dalgish is called to investigate, after the death of one of the students and after the boy's wealthy Father insist on knowing what happened to his son. No sooner Adam Dalgish arrives, there are more murders.

If you like dramas set in the country with murder and mystery, then you should like this drama. It might not be to everyone's taste. If you prefer fast senseless violence, with no plot to follow then this won't be for you. But if you like intelligent writing and are willing to sit it out to the end, then this is for you. I enjoyed it and any Jesse Spencer fans, like myself, will enjoy it. As his character is central to the plot.