After her beloved father dies, the sassy Precious Ramotswe (Jill Scott) sells an inheritance of 180 cows to start a detective agency and becomes the first female sleuth in the history of Botswana. Co-starring Anika Noni Rose as Ramotswe’s assistant and secretary, Mma Makutsi, this quirky whodunit was adapted from Alexander McCall Smith’s hit mystery novels. The film also marks the last directing credit for Anthony Minghella (English Patient).
Season One contains 3 discs. Because of a theme of kidnapping children to sell their body parts (e.g. fingers) as magic amulets, this series might not be for children. More than that, an American audience might find the slow childlike speech patterns in the Botswana English a bit hard to take. I almost stopped watching even the first episode until the plot became somewhat sinister and my curiosity kept me watching. But after that first episode I returned the disc to NetFlix. The books are better than the TV adaptations, in my opinion.
A priest (Paul Bettany) on the run gets mixed up with a band of wandering thespians in this tale of salvation based on the book Morality Play by Barry Unsworth. In a tiny village, the group comes upon a woman who’s been charged with murder and sentenced to death. The actors put on a production based on the crime and soon realize that the townsfolk know the woman isn’t guilty.
Consistent, well-acted, unusual, original, suspenseful are all adjectives that describe this worthwhile fim. Essentially it is a mystery story plus a quest for justice. I can only assume that the 1300s in England were exactly this grubby. Among the actors Gina McKee was Irene in the PBS production of “The Forsyte Saga”. Willem Dafoe is of course a well-established actor.
If I can’t stop watching a film, that’s a good sign. Highly recommended!
Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn (Patrick Malahide) is a sophisticated detective who’s comfortable among society types in 1940s Britain but equally able to navigate the trenches when duty calls. His skills come in handy when he’s handed cases that mystify his colleagues — such as the murder of an artist’s model, the mysterious death of high-powered politicians and barristers and the blackmailing of an upper-crust debutante.
We were a bit disappointed in set 1 of Inspector Alleyn. Kathy and I found discs 1 and 3 boring. Discs 2 and 4 were better but not great. These period pieces are a bit slow and antiquated. However, subtitles are available which is a plus for many viewers.
