jcoffee02

I've got a soft spot for British B&W films from the late 50s & early 60s, just before London was set to swinging. It was the era of kitchen sink, Angry Young Man realism. When the opportunity to catch this film came along, I jumped.

Like its later, mid-to-late 60s American counterparts, Party's Over tries to capture an emerging counter culture, but fails. Clunky dialogue - although quick, clever and sprinkled with slang - isn't enough to prop up a story based on a group of dissatisfied folks who do nothing but talk, smoke, drink and 'groove.' We see them walking home the next morning, like vampires from a night of blood-letting.

There's a peppy soundtrack by John Barry and, as others have noted, Reed's performance dazzles. Almost everyone else makes the most of their parts; it's not their fault that their characters are so shallow.

The reviews here mentioned an event that is a turning point in the story. I'm glad they did because the version I saw on Tubi completely cut the scene.

That did it for me. Plus, the Carson character as the Yank was very annoying and was an instant buzz kill every time he'd crash a groovy scene. Grateful to have experienced what I did, but I wouldn't recommend the Tubi version to anyone. I guess you get what you pay for.

London Kills is a pleasant way to spend an hour if you're a crime TV fan. These criminals aren't masterminds; most of the murders involve the victim getting bonked on the head with a trophy or tire jack. The step-by-step progress of the investigations are incremental and formulaic with red herrings scattered about. The usual murder-of-the-week stuff.

The program is actually quite sloppy with ongoing themes that run season-to-season, larger criminal threads that keep viewers coming back for more. A character's missing wife is found, then goes missing again as the series has no further use for her. Also in the first season, much is made of a victim found hanging in a tree. It was never revealed why the killer(s) went to all that trouble.

Other reviewers have pointed out that 95% of the action takes place in one dark office and an interrogation room, suggesting a very tight budget. They do a good job with what they've got, but the repetition does become glaring.

Best thing about the series is the cast, especially the two female leads. Sharon Small's performance is pitch perfect, creating a no-nonsense investigator who seems very realistic, never resorting to overplaying her role. And Tori-Allen Martin brightens every scene as a rookie who empathizes with the civilians more than she probably should. She's the heart of the show.

The two male leads? Hobbled by the writing and limited to taciturn caricatures, though it's plain they're capable of much more.

One more thing: the Did You Know item suggests that the show was very improv, but I believe that was intended for Paul Maruess' other series, Suspects, which packed a lot more energy into the stories than LK. Great series, but it doesn't look like it's coming back.

Speaking of energy, Season 4 of London threatened to become a snooze fest, with humdrum stories not up to previous seasons' quality. Not helping was the score, a murmuring wash of keyboards & percussion that isn't really music, just something to fill in the lulls, of which there are many. Seems to be trend these days.