The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

I enjoyed this movie very much. The acting was solid and the story was well told. It may be slow for some and if you're a cynic you probably won't enjoy it. I was particularly pleased with Margaret (also called Madge) as she was independent and tough and did not shrink under pressure from the men around her. There were definite cliches but there were also moments that I thought were going to turn into cliches that went in a different direction. It was a pleasant surprise and I'm really glad I watched it.

This whodunnit was actually interesting and was presented beautifully, highlighting the brutal class system and the lack of independence of women in the 19th century Melbourne. A stirring depiction of the haves and have-nots. The entire cast acted well and elevated the movie experience.

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is an emotive Australian crime drama, with an outstanding cast and lavish sets and detail. It is a telemovie of Fergus Hume's book, first published in Australia in 1886. Set in Melbourne, it brings to vivid life the privilege and struggle of the upper and lower classes of Melbournian life from the 1800s.

The plot centers around an engaged couple whose marriage is left in limbo when the groom is held on charges of murdering an odious blackmailer to the Bride's affluent Father. It has an almost Wildean sense of society and emotion, and in true crime tradition, the viewer is left pondering the guilty right to the end.

The all Australian cast has a strong gravitas. Sometimes the period's drab and flowing attire causes a little confusion of who is who, but eventually faces stick to characters, and the viewer connects to the intriguing plot. The two detectives have dissimilar, but striking charms. "Kenny"'s Shane Jacobson is a little out of his depth as the main prosecutor; but plays an entertaining role, while Felix Williamson is devilishly suave as Shane's sharply-cut adversary in law. Jessica De Gouw is lovable as the bride-to-be, and together with the groom, Brian Fitzgerald, they make a charming couple whose drama fills the movie. Michael Carman plays a lovely characterised villain. John Waters as the family patriarch , and Marco Chiappi as his friend and barrister, have strong and grounding presences.

Sets are beautiful and graphic; though not as lavish as overseas productions. And on occasion, prominent Melbourne locations are shot with CGI backdrops of the olden town. The back-street dens have a glamour and seediness that brings them to vivid life (similarly to "The Harp in the South"), and the splendor of the mansions is convincing, though shot on a smallish budget.

Mention should also be made of the smooth but engaging score. and production on the whole is creditable.

Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a period drama that the BBC churn-out - with more polish, but less charm - but that Australian cinema does not achieve so often. This lovely but sometimes-confusing movie is definitely worth a second viewing.

Director Shawn Seet delivers a top production. The late 19th Century Melbourne location is captured with the help of some CGI backgrounds of the 1800's Melbourne. The mansion is big and fitting the plot of an aristocrat with a secret. The novel was written in the late 1800's by Fergus Hume and has had four films based on it. It was very popular. Even more than Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Who killed the blackmailer is the main question. Could it be the fiance? John Waters is the father of Jessica De Gouw, Madge. Mario Chiappi is Waters' lawyer. Shane Jacobson is the first detective who is followed by Felix Williamson. Chelsie Preston plays Sal Rawlins who is key to all aspects of the plot. Helen Morse delivers the best performance as the down and out grandmother of Sal Rawlins. Glen Dolman wrote the script which keeps your attention from start to finish.

The original novel was a best-seller in its day. This screen adaptation was about as convincing as a junior high school production. Nothing seemed to work ... accents were inconsistent and inaccurate, delivery was appalling, script was poorly constructed. Sets, costumes, sound, make-up and lighting were ridiculously caricatured. At times it seemed as if the whole thing were supposed to be some sort of joke. I kept waiting for a punchline which never arrived. As it progressed, I felt more and more uncomfortable and acutely embarrassed that overseas viewers might think that we're actually proud of material such as this.

It's hard to understand how such a talented group of Australian actors could put their names to such amateurish rubbish.

Such a disappointment!