CS Weekly Archive > DVD > 09/14/07

Upholding the Law at a Terrible Cost

by jason davis

Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act

Frank Deasy

Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) faces her last case through an alcoholic haze in the final installment of the award-winning British drama Prime Suspect.  Frank Deasy's two-part script finds Tennison on the verge of retirement when the murder of a 14-year-old girl, her father's (Frank Finlay) death, and a stirring of personal regret over her life combine to tip her into the bottle.  A disintegrating Tennison stumbles through a tightly plotted story populated by well-crafted characters and develops a charming relationship with a key witness that sheds light on the case while offering a delicate avenue into Tennison's tortured soul.  As the tale weaves between Tennison's personal life and the investigation, the viewer is privy to an intimate account of the ravages a life in law enforcement can wreak on those who investigate crime.  A documentary explores the origins of the series and features an interview with DCI Jackie Malton, the police officer writer on whom Lynda La Plante originally based Tennison.

Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act

Acorn Media

Not Rated; 184 min.

$29.99

Buy it now

Jason Davis has been the DVD Manager for CS Weekly , has been a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.

Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act courtesy Acorrn Media

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