What a pity that Robert Hanks' callow review of the first episode is the only external assessment of this gripping thriller. I must confess, though, that when I saw it on TV I couldn't follow it - the simultaneous plots in past and present puzzled me, or perhaps I was 'as tired as a newt'! Anyway,I was sufficiently intrigued to get the DVD,and I'm so glad I did. Juliet Stevenson, too often under cast these days, is at her brilliant best as the dedicated TV reporter, 'crap mother' Catherine Heathcote, investigating the disappearance of 13-year old Alison Carter some 50 years ago. Elizabeth Day is so good as her troubled, overlooked daughter Saha, while Liz Moscrop as Catherine's novelist mother shows how Catherine was comparably overlooked. Catherine befriends George Bennett (the great Philip Jackson), whose eager beaver younger self is played by Lee Ingleby; Tom Maudsley and Dave Hill are both Fine as his loyal if sceptical sergeant. Then there's Greg Wise,supremely arrogant as the man you'd love to hate - but is he a murderer? There are astonishing twists at the end, yet they all make sense: wow!
19 Reviews
Why photos of a female in her late 20's representing a 13 year old.
svkuanyin-2938615 February 2016
I love Lee Ingleby who plays George. I first encountered Lee in the production of ' Inspector George Gently' . The rest of the cast is just great. My bone of contention is the photos supposedly representing a13year old girl. The photos looked like a female in her late 20's not a young vulnerable teenager.
I would love to know the background of this choice. it was quite off- putting and lost some of its tension due to this. Why did they use this particular female's photos? Is she the Producer or Director's wife? There has to be a reason as it was the only glitch in an otherwise fine production.
I would love to know the background of this choice. it was quite off- putting and lost some of its tension due to this. Why did they use this particular female's photos? Is she the Producer or Director's wife? There has to be a reason as it was the only glitch in an otherwise fine production.
Whatever happened to Alison Carter?
Galina_movie_fan9 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
While watching Place of Execution (2009), I kept thinking that the best mysteries/psychological thrillers/police procedurals I've read or watched adapted to the screen, are British. Starting with Sir Conan Doyle and Dame Agatha Christi, the tradition of excellent mystery writers continued, just to name a few, with Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson, and the new name for me, Val McDermid. I did not have pleasure of reading any novel by McDermid before watching the 150 minutes PBS production of her novel Place of Execution but I believe, the film is a success. The story that takes place in the past, 1963 and present, never loosens its grip. In the center of the film and the novel, there is a story of the disappearance of 13 years old girl named Alison Carter who one day left her house in the English village of Scarsdale to walk her dog in the nearby moors and never was seen again. It happened in November of 1963. In the present days, a documentary film maker, Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) is finishing up the film about the case that shook the nation and the man who was in the center of investigation, highly respected and decorated Police Inspector, George Bennett. It was the very first case for young Bennett and the more he learned about the circumstances of the case, the more he got obsessed with the desire to find what happened to Alice and to bring her murderer to justice. Bennett with the help of a local policeman DS Tommy Clough, was able to find a suspect and to gather the evidence that had led to trial and death sentence. In the beginning, Bennett supported the production of Catherine's film but just as the film was about to be aired, something happened that made Bennett call Catherine and inform her that he wanted to withdrew because the film would make more harm than good and that "mistakes were made". Catherine drives to Scarsdale accompanied by her teenage 13 years old daughter Sasha to try to find out what happened and why George changed his mind so suddenly. While in Scarsdale, she tries to make the locals talk to her and to find out what secrets have been hidden behind the wall of silence.
I was riveted to the screen all the time. I was impressed by acting, the pace of film, the dark atmosphere of the horrific sordid secrets from the past that still cast the shadows on small seemingly peaceful village, by the flashbacks and by the authentic details of the time long passed.
I can't talk much about the plot without giving away the obvious similarity with one of the most famous novel written by the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. Like many viewers, I figured out the guilty party very soon and it was obvious that he was guilty of the terrible crimes but was he guilty of Alison's death? If yes, why was not her body ever found? You will have to stay with this wonderful film to the end to find out along with Catherine Heathcote the truly shocking revelations. The only problem I have with the adaptation, the film shifted the focus from the original story of the Allison' disappearance investigation and the controversy of George Bennet's obsession with the case to Catherine's own problems and demons of her past. As much as I admire Juliet Stevenson's performance and her acting talent, I believe the film should have stayed faithful to the excellent book which I read after watching the film.
I was riveted to the screen all the time. I was impressed by acting, the pace of film, the dark atmosphere of the horrific sordid secrets from the past that still cast the shadows on small seemingly peaceful village, by the flashbacks and by the authentic details of the time long passed.
I can't talk much about the plot without giving away the obvious similarity with one of the most famous novel written by the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie. Like many viewers, I figured out the guilty party very soon and it was obvious that he was guilty of the terrible crimes but was he guilty of Alison's death? If yes, why was not her body ever found? You will have to stay with this wonderful film to the end to find out along with Catherine Heathcote the truly shocking revelations. The only problem I have with the adaptation, the film shifted the focus from the original story of the Allison' disappearance investigation and the controversy of George Bennet's obsession with the case to Catherine's own problems and demons of her past. As much as I admire Juliet Stevenson's performance and her acting talent, I believe the film should have stayed faithful to the excellent book which I read after watching the film.
Outstanding drama with compelling acting
murray-morison21 July 2014
A complex story certainly. The twists and turns take you across decades with much of the story told in flashback. A girl has gone missing. A young detective takes on his first case with national notoriety. He is up against prejudice in his own police station being the only copper with a university background. His prime suspect is a man with real power and considerable arrogance.
40 years later a journalist (played masterfully by Juliet Stevenson) revisits the case and wonders if there was a miscarriage of justice. This production has done remarkable justice to a highly complex plot. The final hour of the three hour mini-series had me on the edge of my seat throughout. A very high quality drama and one that deserves to be seen.
40 years later a journalist (played masterfully by Juliet Stevenson) revisits the case and wonders if there was a miscarriage of justice. This production has done remarkable justice to a highly complex plot. The final hour of the three hour mini-series had me on the edge of my seat throughout. A very high quality drama and one that deserves to be seen.
Terrific adaptation of a fine thriller
gws-228 December 2009
I finished reading Val McDermid's excellent thriller, "Place of Execution," a couple of weeks ago, and enjoyed it enough to pickup the DVD of the miniseries of the same name. I have now seen it and cannot praise it highly enough. Despite the complexities of the story, with its twin time lines and intersecting stories, it worked, I thought. Val McDermid co-wrote the screenplay, which I loved. Despite some changes from the book, do doubt made to tighten the story, it works.
"Place of Execution" is morally ambiguous, to say the least, the darkest of dark tales. It asks the question, When must the truth be sacrificed because justice requires it. The question is never answered but that's a good thing. Instead, we are left to ponder.
The arrogant Philip Hawkin is the squire of the remote village of Scardale. Hawkin, well played with malevolently superciliousness by Greg Wise, has a wife and 13 year old stepdaughter, both of whom had lived in the village long before Hawkin came along. In 1963 the stepdaughter, Allison, disappears and the evidence developed by the police sets afoot this stark morality play, the facts of which are not fully revealed until 40 years later. To say more would deprive you of the rich pleasures of seeing the truth revealed a layer at a time. After that, you will be left to decide the justice of the matter.
"Place of Execution" is morally ambiguous, to say the least, the darkest of dark tales. It asks the question, When must the truth be sacrificed because justice requires it. The question is never answered but that's a good thing. Instead, we are left to ponder.
The arrogant Philip Hawkin is the squire of the remote village of Scardale. Hawkin, well played with malevolently superciliousness by Greg Wise, has a wife and 13 year old stepdaughter, both of whom had lived in the village long before Hawkin came along. In 1963 the stepdaughter, Allison, disappears and the evidence developed by the police sets afoot this stark morality play, the facts of which are not fully revealed until 40 years later. To say more would deprive you of the rich pleasures of seeing the truth revealed a layer at a time. After that, you will be left to decide the justice of the matter.
It's the journey, not the destination
GilBlas7 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The story is that of a teenage girl from a rural village who went missing while walking her dog on the moors. Her body was never found but evidence that she had been kidnapped and murdered was, as was evidence that her stepfather was responsible. Based on that evidence, and despite the absence of the girl's body, her stepfather was convicted and hanged. Fast- forward forty years to the present, when filmmaker Catherine Heathcote is reexamining the crime in a documentary for TV. As the deadline for wrapping up her film nears, a key figure in the documentary, George Bennett, the then-young lead detective in the original investigation, whose career was launched by the case, reverses his decision to discuss the case on camera. Bennett is clearly troubled by the case, and he tells Heathcote vaguely "mistakes were made." Heathcote's request of her boss for more time, so she can pin down the truth, is rewarded by his pulling her from the film and replacing her with an ambitious assistant whose orders are to meet the deadline. Something was clearly amiss with the original investigation, but what? Heathcote presses ahead on her own to find out.
While I had a sense of what was troubling George Bennett, and the direction the story was heading, the film was effective in keeping me guessing at the details until nearly the end. It did so, however, in large part because of the improbability of its resolution. Now, I don't wish to exaggerate this point: I have encountered stories and resolutions that I found equally, if not more, improbable in any number of episodes of highly-regarded British mystery series. (Pushing the improbability envelope seems to be the norm in mystery/police-procedural dramas these days.)
In summary, the quality of the production is high, and the story will hold your interest. The acting is first-rate: Juliet Stevenson is always good, and the actors who play Bennett and his partner as young men are well matched physically to the two who play them as old men (I found this to be more effective than aging the young actors with makeup). The journey to the story's resolution is satisfying even if the resolution itself is not completely so.
While I had a sense of what was troubling George Bennett, and the direction the story was heading, the film was effective in keeping me guessing at the details until nearly the end. It did so, however, in large part because of the improbability of its resolution. Now, I don't wish to exaggerate this point: I have encountered stories and resolutions that I found equally, if not more, improbable in any number of episodes of highly-regarded British mystery series. (Pushing the improbability envelope seems to be the norm in mystery/police-procedural dramas these days.)
In summary, the quality of the production is high, and the story will hold your interest. The acting is first-rate: Juliet Stevenson is always good, and the actors who play Bennett and his partner as young men are well matched physically to the two who play them as old men (I found this to be more effective than aging the young actors with makeup). The journey to the story's resolution is satisfying even if the resolution itself is not completely so.
Another Great UK Drama
kiwi4330 March 2009
I found this adaptation of Val McDermid's novel to be extremely atmospheric and well acted. The actors chosen to play the "older" versions were uncannily like their younger counterparts, especially George Bennett. In NZ this was broken into two episodes which is perhaps why I couldn't figure out/remember Catherine's early relationship with the Manor. In fact, my only quibble with the programme was that Catherine's phone call to, and the appearance of, her mother near the end were very contrived. Apart from that, I thought this was an excellent production. I have gone back to reread the book which,now that I know what happens, gives the game away in a subtle way in the prologue. The TV adaptation can't quite bring in the feeling of the book - the first part set at the time of the Moors Murder, & the isolation & bleakness of Scardale.
I didn't find the time shifting confusing but in the book there are two separate books and Catherine is writing a book, not doing a TV documentary.
I didn't find the time shifting confusing but in the book there are two separate books and Catherine is writing a book, not doing a TV documentary.
Mostly good!
khunkrumark17 February 2017
Alternating timelines - the 'go to' plot device that the people who make TV love - and people who watch TV hate! But in this case, it works well and actually makes sense. Also - it's not too confusing for the viewer!
Some well-known faces from every other TV drama are wheeled out in this above average drama. Some will find their faces reassuring - others (like me) will find them annoying... especially Juliet Stevenson who is just too overexposed to the point where I can no longer see past the face of an actress into the soul of a character.
But that aside, this is still a pretty captivating addition to the library of British commercial television drama... even though the ending is pretty silly and very implausible.
The story is about a documentary maker (Stevenson) who delves back half a century into the mystery of a missing child for which her step-father was hung for murder.
Greg Wise who plays the stepfather is the stand out here. He's another seemingly never out of work actor who shows up several times a year on TV in something or other. But this role is a true masterclass. His expressions of initially evil and eventually fear are worth a thousand words.
There are themes of family skeletons and police evidence tampering played out against a backdrop of domestic friction. The investigator is having a tough time ignoring her daughter as she seems to be a wannabe goth! But she plows on with her important work anyway.
Meanwhile, in another life, a young detective on his first missing persons case, struggles with his colleagues as he is determined to hang a man for murder despite having no body. The court scenes are very intimidating and the hanging is also very dramatic.
So - if you can stomach seeing the same old faces on your TV and you're willing to put up with a rather convoluted final act then it's worth your time.
Some well-known faces from every other TV drama are wheeled out in this above average drama. Some will find their faces reassuring - others (like me) will find them annoying... especially Juliet Stevenson who is just too overexposed to the point where I can no longer see past the face of an actress into the soul of a character.
But that aside, this is still a pretty captivating addition to the library of British commercial television drama... even though the ending is pretty silly and very implausible.
The story is about a documentary maker (Stevenson) who delves back half a century into the mystery of a missing child for which her step-father was hung for murder.
Greg Wise who plays the stepfather is the stand out here. He's another seemingly never out of work actor who shows up several times a year on TV in something or other. But this role is a true masterclass. His expressions of initially evil and eventually fear are worth a thousand words.
There are themes of family skeletons and police evidence tampering played out against a backdrop of domestic friction. The investigator is having a tough time ignoring her daughter as she seems to be a wannabe goth! But she plows on with her important work anyway.
Meanwhile, in another life, a young detective on his first missing persons case, struggles with his colleagues as he is determined to hang a man for murder despite having no body. The court scenes are very intimidating and the hanging is also very dramatic.
So - if you can stomach seeing the same old faces on your TV and you're willing to put up with a rather convoluted final act then it's worth your time.
Another star in British crime drama
sjonsey687 March 2021
Very good adaptation of a great book. Once again the Brits bring their game to the table, excellent and realistic acting and gritty drama. Aparently, there is a US version, not going to even bother. This series is also available on You Tube, worth a watch.
Slightly protracted narration elevated by character performances
BeneCumb16 July 2015
British suspense mini-series are a kind of trade mark, always giftedly thought through, directed and performed using distinct and mostly character actors able to provide new angles even when the background or matter are not fully to your taste.
Place of Execution is another good example of the above, with past and present thrillingly intertwined, when viewers can ponder on and over what really could happen and what answers could the present bring along... Actors like Juliet Stevenson or Lee Ingleby are catchy both appearance-wise and performance-wise, and all the cast, even in smaller roles, are just fit for them, providing realistic atmosphere. On the other hand, some pace and some logic of events left to be desired, but it may well be so that I am just "spoilt" by similar other British and Scandinavian series...
Nevertheless, the work in question is definitely above average, but the length - 3.5 hours - requires you find a time for this. Preferably in succession.
Place of Execution is another good example of the above, with past and present thrillingly intertwined, when viewers can ponder on and over what really could happen and what answers could the present bring along... Actors like Juliet Stevenson or Lee Ingleby are catchy both appearance-wise and performance-wise, and all the cast, even in smaller roles, are just fit for them, providing realistic atmosphere. On the other hand, some pace and some logic of events left to be desired, but it may well be so that I am just "spoilt" by similar other British and Scandinavian series...
Nevertheless, the work in question is definitely above average, but the length - 3.5 hours - requires you find a time for this. Preferably in succession.
Excellent Novel Adaptation
waldenpond886 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I read the crime novel by Val McDermid several times and like the atmosphere and lonely location of the village where the story takes place.
So I was kind of sceptical when I found out about the TV movie, but was pleasantly surprised.
Read the book first and then watch the TV movie as the ending in the movie is different (I like it better than the end in the book). After having read the first volume of Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy where he mentions Val McDermid a few times (but never "A Place of Execution"), I understand from where he got inspired for the Harriet Vanger case.
Read the book first and then watch the TV movie as the ending in the movie is different (I like it better than the end in the book). After having read the first volume of Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy where he mentions Val McDermid a few times (but never "A Place of Execution"), I understand from where he got inspired for the Harriet Vanger case.
Meh
gelman@attglobal.net31 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"A Place of Execution" is heavily dependent on the character of Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson), a reporter investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl, and the role of detective George Bennett (Lee Inglesby and, later, Philip Jackson) in solving the case. The girl's step-father, Philip Hawkin (Greg Wise) is suspected of abusing her sexually and of subsequently killing her. It turns out that he is guilty of raping her and other youngsters but not of killing her. After a trial, he is hanged for the crime he did not commit. It's a nicely plotted story and might have made an better TV series if Juliet Stevenson were strong enough to carry her end. Unfortunately, I did not find her especially convincing. Greg Wise is splendid and both Inglesby as the younger Bennett and Philip Jackson as the older Bennett handle their roles admirably. The ending is a bit improbable. However, I suspect that there would be many fewer successful crime stories if improbabilities were disallowed.
Well I Say It's A Stinker!
billmarsano25 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers--yes! And they'll save you wasted time. The British are I believe are addicted to/enthralled by overly complicated stories (I think the writerly correct term is "densely plotted.") This is one of them--way too much stuff going on, which means deliberate attempts to confuse and mislead viewers.Focus is on Hotshot TV person (and crap mother) Heathcote, who's re-reporting a decades-old Crime of the Century in a backward little village called Scardale. It's the Disappearance of Young Alison. Walked out the door w/her dog & never seen again. No body found, just the dog. BUT bloodhound young Tec and Tough Old-Timer get killer circumstantial evidence vs Stepdad, despite mulish non-cooperation of villagers, even though they all hate Stepdad as much as he hates them. Evidence such as: 1, Stepdad's a serious pro photog (& classist snob w/pals in high places) whose darkroom is wallpapered w/graphically sexy pix of himself w/ Alison--a 13-year-old made up to look a smoldering 25 or so. 2. More Alison pix found in Stepdad's safe conclusively prove he's a child rapist. 3. Bullets found in a pool of Alison's blood in abandoned mine come from a gun stolen from Stepdad's pal. 4. Gun is found in Stepdad's den. 5 Wrapped in Stepdad's shirt--custom-made & identifiable as his. 6. It's soaked w/ Alison's blood. 7. Also, old map found in Stepdad's possession proves he knew all about mine's locale. Stepdad relentlessly protests innocence but is tried and hanged right pronto. (Well, not quite pronto. Much time is spent by defense team suggesting the photos are fakes--and faked by the Tec. More time waster showing the Tec actually had the skill to do it--and never toold any he hed photo skills.( OK, now things, as Robbie Burns would say, "gang agley." Heathcote, who is herself bloodhounding this story for her TV show, doesn't know why she's obsessed ("it's like an itch I can't scratch') but plows on anyway. Then the Tec from the case, who won fame and career success for nailing Stepdad, suddenly pulls out of her TV show and won't say why. (We learn much later that he begins to doubt Stepdad killed Alison & was wrongly convicted of murder though rightly of rape.) Naturally, because this is "densely plotted," H'cote must also deal w/guilt over her single-crapmotherhood; a sullen, acting-out teenage daughter (ALWAYS a bad sign, the sullen offspring); her OWN crap mother (who warns against digging into the past and then goes back to her eternal typewriter, though we never lean why); a time-pressuring boss (another bad sign); a backstabbing colleague (yet another); and the hatred of the villagers, who say she's trying to do dirt to the beloved hero Tec (but in fact have Their Own Hidden Agenda!). All this is ludicrously wrapped up in a neat but fragrant bundle of happenstance and coincidence, which is what writers use when concocting fake stories, i.e.,stories w/no reason for being. As follows: Heathcote, who in a throwaway line tells sullen daughter that she summered at Alison's family's estate a few times as a child, has been trying to get OK to film inside the manor house for months w/o success. So despite having been fired from her program for not getting the job done and despite she and her daughter and the hero Tec's Old-Timer partner having been threatened at the manor house by ax-wielding villagers mere days before,she goes back to the place again, alone!, and sits outside on a log waiting for someone to come out. And whaddaya know, someone does! What are the odds? Heathcote forces her way in and soon discovers what the hero Tec (now every elderly & fragile) discovered only a week or so earlier (it's the reason he's exiting H'cote's program): ALISON IS NOT DEAD!
The murder rap was illegitimate after all!. Poor Tec? Not really. First, Heathcote gets from Alison definitive photo proof that Stepdad had raped almost every child in the village. (She's kept it all these years, like relics of the saints) Immediately afterward, Alison convenes a meeting of the villagers, at which Heathcote learns the following: When the dozen-or-so parents learned Stepdad's continuing multiple rapes they decided to Act. Here you'd expect something glorious amd gory like a torchlight parade with pitchforks and savagery, ending w/Stepdad's mutilated corpse buried in a bog or pushed through the wood-chipper. But No. Alison's Mom and all the parents decided instead to frame Stepdad for murder! For that, Alison must 'disappear'--but first she is bled--bled like a stuck pig. Drained of enough blood (3 pints!) to convince investigators she must be dead--murdered--despite lack of a body. The gun is duly pinched by a housekeeper who conveniently works for both Alison's mom and the gun 's owner. After a couple of shot are fired to provide bullets at the supposed murder site, the gun is planted in Stepdad's den. And Alison? Alison is shipped off to distant relatives and, using their family name, moves w/them to Canada! At least for a time; anyway; then for no known reason she returns to live as, a recluse, in the manor house. That's where Tec accidentally spots and recognizes her--and pulls out of Heathcote's program, but can't say why lest the whole world learn that hesent an innocent man to the gallows.) All this is proudly admitted to at the meeting of villagers, When Heathcote tells them that framing a guy for murder could put them in prison, Alison calmly notes "that's what they signed up for." (Easy for her to say: she was 13 at the time and is legally not liable!) Still, no one objects. No one tries to talk Heathcote into keeping this to herself. No one says 'boy, are we ever screwed." People who went after her with axes only a day or so before now just SIT THERE and let her go off with the evidence that could put them all in jail. Or gaol (it's England, remember.) Surely this is enough, eh? But, again, No. Remember Heathcote's unscratchable itch? Remember her own crap mom? Well, later she goes riffling through the photos again and Bang-O right between the eyes! She finds a pic that proves to her horror that one of Stepdad's victims was HERSELF. Yes, she was raped by Stepdad too.! And she also realizes that her own crap mom knew too and did nothing. This would be the point at which Heathcote,gives her a belt in the eye,but she doesn't do that. She takes all her evidence for what would make her show the Story of the Year and blithely hands it over to the boss who canned her, thus rewarding him as well as the disloyal colleague who has taken her show over. Why? Because she and Sullen Brat are going to take a month off together and become the Best Pals they always should have been, thus making up for 15 years of parental neglect.
OK, so it's "densely plotted." Everything fits in tyhe end. All the little pieces are wrapped up and the strings tied. Just like one of those 1000-piece picture puzzles or Lego toys. Perfect if you like that sort of thing.
The murder rap was illegitimate after all!. Poor Tec? Not really. First, Heathcote gets from Alison definitive photo proof that Stepdad had raped almost every child in the village. (She's kept it all these years, like relics of the saints) Immediately afterward, Alison convenes a meeting of the villagers, at which Heathcote learns the following: When the dozen-or-so parents learned Stepdad's continuing multiple rapes they decided to Act. Here you'd expect something glorious amd gory like a torchlight parade with pitchforks and savagery, ending w/Stepdad's mutilated corpse buried in a bog or pushed through the wood-chipper. But No. Alison's Mom and all the parents decided instead to frame Stepdad for murder! For that, Alison must 'disappear'--but first she is bled--bled like a stuck pig. Drained of enough blood (3 pints!) to convince investigators she must be dead--murdered--despite lack of a body. The gun is duly pinched by a housekeeper who conveniently works for both Alison's mom and the gun 's owner. After a couple of shot are fired to provide bullets at the supposed murder site, the gun is planted in Stepdad's den. And Alison? Alison is shipped off to distant relatives and, using their family name, moves w/them to Canada! At least for a time; anyway; then for no known reason she returns to live as, a recluse, in the manor house. That's where Tec accidentally spots and recognizes her--and pulls out of Heathcote's program, but can't say why lest the whole world learn that hesent an innocent man to the gallows.) All this is proudly admitted to at the meeting of villagers, When Heathcote tells them that framing a guy for murder could put them in prison, Alison calmly notes "that's what they signed up for." (Easy for her to say: she was 13 at the time and is legally not liable!) Still, no one objects. No one tries to talk Heathcote into keeping this to herself. No one says 'boy, are we ever screwed." People who went after her with axes only a day or so before now just SIT THERE and let her go off with the evidence that could put them all in jail. Or gaol (it's England, remember.) Surely this is enough, eh? But, again, No. Remember Heathcote's unscratchable itch? Remember her own crap mom? Well, later she goes riffling through the photos again and Bang-O right between the eyes! She finds a pic that proves to her horror that one of Stepdad's victims was HERSELF. Yes, she was raped by Stepdad too.! And she also realizes that her own crap mom knew too and did nothing. This would be the point at which Heathcote,gives her a belt in the eye,but she doesn't do that. She takes all her evidence for what would make her show the Story of the Year and blithely hands it over to the boss who canned her, thus rewarding him as well as the disloyal colleague who has taken her show over. Why? Because she and Sullen Brat are going to take a month off together and become the Best Pals they always should have been, thus making up for 15 years of parental neglect.
OK, so it's "densely plotted." Everything fits in tyhe end. All the little pieces are wrapped up and the strings tied. Just like one of those 1000-piece picture puzzles or Lego toys. Perfect if you like that sort of thing.
Excellent British Mystery!
aurasbob16 June 2018
terrific
blanche-212 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A TV journalist revisits a 45-year-old case in "Place of Execution," a 2008 British series. On Netflix, it is released in two parts.
A young girl disappeared from her village 45 years earlier and was never found. Her stepfather was convicted of murdering her and hanged, after her blood was found on his shirt and in a cave, and pornographic photographs of him molesting her were discovered.
The detective on the case, George Bennett (Philip Jackson) agrees to cooperate when TV journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) revisits the case for a documentary. However, it soon becomes clear there was more to the case than perhaps was revealed at the time, and the question comes up as to whether the aggressive young detective (played by Lee Ingleby) doctored some evidence.
"Place of Execution" is beyond excellent and leaves one with a moral question to which there is no answer: Does the end justify the means? The acting is wonderful, but first, a word about the amazing casting, particularly of Philip Jackson and Lee Ingleby as the older and young DI Bennett. Completely believable and uncanny - what a resemblance. All of the old/young casting is carefully done.
Juliet Stevenson is excellent as the reporter, who has no idea what she's walking into, Ingleby and Jackson are great as the persistent Bennett. A real standout is the handsome Greg Wise as the missing girl's stepfather. Again, regarding the casting - he had the perfect look for the role - arrogant and cold - and played the role to perfection.
Very satisfying, very absorbing, and the music will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A young girl disappeared from her village 45 years earlier and was never found. Her stepfather was convicted of murdering her and hanged, after her blood was found on his shirt and in a cave, and pornographic photographs of him molesting her were discovered.
The detective on the case, George Bennett (Philip Jackson) agrees to cooperate when TV journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) revisits the case for a documentary. However, it soon becomes clear there was more to the case than perhaps was revealed at the time, and the question comes up as to whether the aggressive young detective (played by Lee Ingleby) doctored some evidence.
"Place of Execution" is beyond excellent and leaves one with a moral question to which there is no answer: Does the end justify the means? The acting is wonderful, but first, a word about the amazing casting, particularly of Philip Jackson and Lee Ingleby as the older and young DI Bennett. Completely believable and uncanny - what a resemblance. All of the old/young casting is carefully done.
Juliet Stevenson is excellent as the reporter, who has no idea what she's walking into, Ingleby and Jackson are great as the persistent Bennett. A real standout is the handsome Greg Wise as the missing girl's stepfather. Again, regarding the casting - he had the perfect look for the role - arrogant and cold - and played the role to perfection.
Very satisfying, very absorbing, and the music will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Anachronisms
glilley22 April 2009
At the beginning of the first episode, the mother of the missing girl says her last words to her were; "Hi mum, bye mum". This use of American slang is quite a recent affectation and would have been unthinkable in early-sixties England and certainly in rural areas anyway. I know this because I grew up there at that very time. However, this is all-in- all a very gripping and absorbing thriller, as long as you can overlook some of the stock elements and red herrings that make it resemble the formula style of "Inspector Morse" episodes. The main drawback for some may be the fact that the chilling twist at the end may be looked on as somewhat implausible. Good performances though by a twin bank of actors playing the main protagonists both then and now as the action shifts back and forth from the original investigation to the making of a current documentary.
A terrific crime series.
Sleepin_Dragon1 August 2021
Who killed Alison Carter? 45 years on a journalist tries to put the pieces together, and uncover the truth that The Police were unable to. Her digging has however has consequences for those still associated with the case.
Obsession, lies, falsified evidence, there is so much to uncover. The three parts are very well balanced and well paced, I love the way the story drifts back and forth, it doesn't jar at any stage, it's easy to follow.
You are made to wait til the very end to learn the truth, but the journey is very much worth it.
Production values are first rate, it looks incredible, especially the scenes from the past, the visuals are top notch, check out the cars and clothes.
The acting is first rate, Lee Ingleby and Tony Maudsley from the past, Juliet Stevenson in particular from the present day.
Writer Val McDermid never fails, throw in Robson Green, and it's a real winner, 9/10.
Obsession, lies, falsified evidence, there is so much to uncover. The three parts are very well balanced and well paced, I love the way the story drifts back and forth, it doesn't jar at any stage, it's easy to follow.
You are made to wait til the very end to learn the truth, but the journey is very much worth it.
Production values are first rate, it looks incredible, especially the scenes from the past, the visuals are top notch, check out the cars and clothes.
The acting is first rate, Lee Ingleby and Tony Maudsley from the past, Juliet Stevenson in particular from the present day.
Writer Val McDermid never fails, throw in Robson Green, and it's a real winner, 9/10.
Wonderful story even though a bit predictable
preppycuber30 May 2021
A good story, fine actors and well made. You could predict the reality of the situation midway through the series, but it was nice to have all loose ends tied.
I know Juliet Stevens is supposed to be the star, but I felt like Lee Ingleby was the stand out performer. I have always liked Lee Ingleby from the time I saw him in George Gently. He is a good actor. The rest did a fine job.
I know Juliet Stevens is supposed to be the star, but I felt like Lee Ingleby was the stand out performer. I have always liked Lee Ingleby from the time I saw him in George Gently. He is a good actor. The rest did a fine job.
Substandard English crime mystery
Laight10 April 2022
Sometimes the Brits make the very best mysteries, but when they don't work, they really don't work. This one is just a mess of coincidences and unpleasant characters and, most of all, poor story telling. Furthermore, Juliet Stevenson, who can be excellent, is tasked with carrying the show; instead she's wooden, seems lost in the role, and ends up extremely unsympathetic. The only one in the case who does a good job is Greg Wise; every one else is just sleep walking. Rather a waste of three hours.
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