Product Description

"Powerful, inventive" -- The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
"Terrific" -- The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

Crime-to-court suspense from Lynda La Plante

No one explores the human cost of crime and punishment with more depth and resonance than Lynda La Plante, creator of the critically lauded Prime Suspect. In this Law & Order-like British series, La Plante follows cases from the commission of the crime to the trial of the accused. She examines grueling, pressure-packed police investigations in all their gritty detail—the sudden insight that can crack a case and the careless mistake that can jeopardize justice. Going behind closed doors, she reveals the strategies of both prosecution and defense as they maneuver toward a final verdict.

With its first-rate cast, innovative direction, and daring storytelling, Trial & Retribution ratchets up suspense at every turn. No emotions are spared, and no characters emerge unscathed in this unflinching detective drama.

Starring David Hayman (A Sense of Freedom, Sid & Nancy) and Kate Buffery (Wish Me Luck), with guest stars Simon Callow, Richard E. Grant, Rhys Ifans, James Wilby, Helen McCrory, Iain Glen, Hugh Dancy, and Corin Redgrave.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE interview with creator Lynda La Plante, biography of Lynda La Plante, and glossary of terms.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17832 in DVD
• Brand: HAYMAN,DAVID
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 804 minutes

Amazon.com
Fans of British crime dramas and American police procedurals will find a lot to cozy up with in the full-season boxed set of Trial and Retribution. The series, the brainchild of Prime Suspect creator Lydia LaPlante, follows just one crime, from its commission in the first episode, through the investigation and prosecution--much like Steven Bochco's 1995 series, Murder One. But unlike the Bochco series, and more like Prime Suspect, this series does more than skim the surface of the intimate lives of the key players. That, more than the crime and its investigation, is what makes the series so compulsively watchable. The journeyman British actors David Hayman and Kate Buffery lead the stellar cast, as Detective Superintendent Michael Walker and Detective Inspector Pat North respectively. Both have perfected the world-weary yet dedicated personas made so believable by Helen Mirren in Suspect, as they race against time: first to find a child missing from her lower-middle-class council estate, and then, when the girl turns up dead, doggedly pursuing investigation of the case, with mere snippets of evidence and leads to go on. As whodunits go, it's a doozy, with a lot of possible bad guys--from the local ice cream man to the "pervy alcoholic" neighbor to any number of random roaming predators. As the case progresses, guest stars make memorable appearances, adding nuance and texture to the story without confusing it. Especially notable are Richard E. Grant, Rhus Ifans, Simon Callow, Hugh Dancy, and Corin Redgrave.

The viewer becomes as invested as the lead detectives, hopefully pursuing promising leads, and feeling hopes dashed as critical mistakes are made and minutes lost. The direction is top-flight, too, making excellent, suspenseful use of split-screen and other tension-building tactics. By the time the case is prosecuted, there's no pat, happily-ever-after feeling as with some episodes of Law & Order; here, English law and order are in the hands of hardworking, and all-too-human, people trying to beat the clock and unlock the mysteries of the pedestrian, and the truly evil. The DVD extras include a great interview with the lively LaPlante, and a helpful glossary of British court and law terms. --A.T. Hurley

The Washington Times
Think of it as a grittier (no surprise there) "Law & Order."...Stylistically though, "Trial" is more innovative.

DVD Talk
absolutely gripping, all the way down the line

Customer Reviews

One of the VERY BEST crime-dramas ever produced!
Those familiar with the British crime-drama series Prime Suspect will already be familiar with the top-notch writing skills of Lynda La Plante, and those who've enjoyed Prime Suspect will certainly enjoy Trial & Retribution. This is a highly engrossing, intellectually satisfying, consummately acted series with strong, richly woven, impeccably written storylines that draw one in and keep one enrapt throughout.

Unlike Prime Suspect, this series centres around the lives of two senior police officers and the ensuing relationship (both personal and professional) between them. Detective Superintendent Mike Walker (David Hayman) is a feisty, intense, no-nonsense little Jack Russell who rips the filters off his cigarettes. A Scotsman with a nose for the business and a loathing for criminal scum, he's a cop who gets results. He's not, however, a very nice man; more to the point, from a human standpoint he's actually very flawed--a fact which becomes increasingly (indeed disturbingly) more evident as the series progresses.

Personality-wise, Detective Inspector Pat North (Kate Buffery) is Mike's polar opposite--well, she'd have to be in order to get along with Mike. A bit rumpled, even haggard in appearance, she's serious, concientious, and ambitious, but she takes things at a calmer more methodical pace, thinking things out first rather than shooting from the hip (as Mike tends to do).

Another feature which distinguishes this series from Prime Suspect (or most other crime-dramas for that matter) is that each episode follows the crime not only through the amassing of evidence and eventual arrest of a suspect but through the trial as well. Of course, once the trial commences, time is of the essence should any new evidence come to light! This is a series which is superbly acted by the strongest of casts, and the actors portraying the barristers are no exceptions. I was particularly captivated by their consummately orated soliloquies and examinations of witnesses--one really is on the edge of one's seat throughout.

No review of this exceptional series would be complete without mention of the highly sophisticated and innovative directing. The show will often break into a split screen (for example when a witness is describing what he or she saw) which has proven to be a highly effective technique. It was La Plante's innovation (and one which she had to fight for), and lest one thinks it sounds weird and intrusive, it is done so professionally and smoothly that the transitions are barely noticeable.

British or otherwise, of all the crime dramas ever produced, Trial & Retribution is one of the very best ever made (and is my own personal favourite), and I highly, HIGHLY recommend it. It is unpredictable, intelligent, rivetting, and very sophisticatedly directed, not to mention flawlessly acted. It is also highly realistic (La Plante, who also produced the series, had her scripts edited by various police and forensic specialists for accuracy). This boxed set includes the first four series made between 1997 and 2000, each of which consists of one 200-minute story split into two 100-minute episodes. Nineteen series have been made to date (of which I've seen about half) with more in the works. I can only hope that Acorn will release this series in its entirety--if any series deserves a complete release, this one does! Finally, if you enjoy this series and are looking for other top-notch crime-dramas, I also recommend The Commander (also by La Plante) and The Vice (starring Ken Stott).

Just a bit too dark for me
I really appreciate the review here given by Donegal Dan, as he mentions the grim and grisly nature of crimes investigated in this series. With La Plante's writing, this series has been compared to Prime Suspect. And there definitely are many commonalities between the two series. Yet, where they differ is the reason for my dropping a couple of stars from my rating (certainly not due to the direction or casting, both of which are excellent). No, what Prime Suspect has that Trial and Retribution does not is Helen Mirren, who manages to bring such humanity to her character. And, by this I mean, not only the human impact of dealing with the sordid and disturbing elements of crime, but Helen Mirren's capacity to bring to whatever she does a fully 3-dimensional character. That is missing in T&R -- La Plante offers us no real depth in the lead characters we're spending all this time with in T&R -- and the series is poorer for it.

It would help this series enormously were there some brighter lighting on the sets. Spending an entire episode in the dimly or starkly lit rooms where most of the interpersonal 'action' takes place simply underscores that we're visiting a very dark layer of human society. I realize that this is the point, but for a viewer, it can leave you feeling, "Why did I subject myself to that for the past two hours when I could be uplifted by watching something with Helen Mirren Judi Dench instead?" My point about the lighting is that there is no relief anywhere -- and, since most of us are not studying to become criminalists but are looking for a captivating viewing experience, the dark feel and look of these episodes can feel overbearing.

Yes, this series is a solid production with many strong elements. But it does leave a foul taste when the story is done (or as Donegal Dan put it), it can 'turn your stomach.' Indeed, yes. I won't be continuing with Season 2 -- I've had quite enough, thank you.

Engrossing but Grim Series
This is another in the gritty and grim school of British police dramatic series. The actors are all excellent and the relationship between the two leading officers is compelling if somewhat wearying, since they seem to have a hell of a time dealing with each other. The depiction of police work is excellent although it brings nothing really new to the genre. There is not a great deal of humor to be found in this series, and it could use some because its stories are quite grisly, especially the first two episodes. Overall, this is a series that will certainly hold your attention and keep you on the edge of your seat if you have the stomach for it.