Place of Execution

This is another in a long line of wonderful productions from the BBC. The story is captivating and slowly draws you in and before you know it, you are anxiously waiting for the next step down the path to the conclusion. As with most British mysteries, there are unexpected twists along the way. The acting is superb on all levels. The attention to minor details in the scenery makes for a rich and rewarding viewing experience. In the end you are left with much to think about and a feeling a warm satisfaction.

Maybe it's because their mysteries often feature satisfyingly salacious conduct, glimpses of frightened victims or mashed-up corpses, or the joys of schadenfreude, but the British create some terrific television stories of plotting and death. I'd add to this unsettling brew restraint in telling the stories, fine acting and writing, some wonderful production values and, quite often, cleverness that can make a person smile.

With Place of Execution, we get it all. (And please note some aspects of the plot are discussed.)

Forty years ago a 13-year-old girl disappears from her small English farming village. Her blood-soaked clothes are found deep in a wet, dark, moldy viaduct. The villagers and her mother, who was a beautiful woman of the village, and her stepfather, the arrogant and wealthy local squire Philip Hawkin (Greg Wise), have no idea what could have happened to her. Despite a thorough investigation led by young Detective Inspector George Bennett (Lee Ingleby), her body was never found. It becomes a story for the tabloids. Someone must pay for the death of innocence. Circumstantial evidence put together by a nearly obsessed Inspector Bennett results in Hawkin swinging from a rope. To the last he calmly insists he did not kill his stepdaughter. The case is nearly forgotten. But what could Hawkin have done with the body?

Forty years pass. We meet television documentary reporter Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson). She's determined to investigate this 40-year-old crime. She has interviewed the sick, retired George Bennett (Philip Jackson) and knows a great deal about the case. Heathcote is a dogged, relentless reporter who has always sacrificed her family for her career. Now that career is on shaky ground. She's getting older. She has a rebellious 16-year-old daughter. And her assistant is young, good-looking and just as ambitious as Catherine still is.

The fun starts.

The story is told by intercutting the story from the Forties and young Bennett's investigation with Catherine's determination to find out what really happened to the young victim. She isn't helped when she encounters the suspicious silence of the now aging villagers and the sudden decision by Bennett not to help her anymore. All he'll say is "Mistakes were made."

Separately, each story line is engrossing. With the intercut flashbacks we see possibilities that Heathcote can't. With Heathcote, we see her pick apart possibilities. The plotting is clever and well written. The story takes some surprising turns, with a couple of twists I completely missed. The conclusion is satisfying and unsettling.

Juliet Stevenson in my opinion is one of Britain's most skilled, versatile and accomplished actors. It's a pleasure to watch her in action. Greg Wise as the condescending lord of the manor is a suitably unlikable aristo with manners. Hawkin is a tall, handsome squire who rarely talks with the peasants. As he points out with a sniff, talking is not the same as conversation.

Is this movie as good as the book? That's somewhat like asking if the apple I just ate is as good as the banana I ate a month ago. I found this TV movie first-rate.

I watched A Place of Execution on Masterpiece because I had read and loved the book. For the most part, the movie version was well done. There was good casting and great performances throughout. Unfortunately, the script changed too many key elements from the book -- and these changes detracted rather than added to the story. I don't want to go into specific detail about these changes because I'd have to put in too many spoilers in order to describe them. You'll have to read the book and watch the movie for yourself to decide what you think. I suspect if I hadn't read the book first, I might have like the movie more. If you'd like to read my review of the book, it's under the Kindle version of the book (no spoilers).

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 18 reviews  4.1 out of 5 stars