OK, so it's late-ish on a Sunday night and I should be in bed in order to gather some sleep for uni tomorrow, but, I flick over to channel 7 and find myself watching the beginning of an intriguing British crime show. I had never heard/seen anything on or about it before, and thinking it was a short (perhaps one hour) series I had just stumbled across, I continued to watch. I must first of all say that the length of this movie (probably about 3 hours) did not in any way destroy, drag out or hinder the effect of the movie. It was thoroughly pleasing. It kept me deeply interested. It felt as if i were watching a condensed version of the series "24". This was due to the fact that the director and script writers tried to throw you around a bit; showed you certain pieces of information in order for you to make your own deduction concerning what ACTUALLY happened. This was very engaging. There was not one dull moment throughout the entire movie. It was beautifully shot, superbly acted, and brilliant executed. I realized now, that my comments which began as a synopsis (see summary line) have digressed into my praise to the entire crew involved; leaving nothing explained. Oh well. You'll have to watch it and see for yourself!
3 Reviews
Beautiful Series in Every Way!!!
estellesoto9137 March 2013
This is one of the most excellent crime dramas I have ever come across. (And I am an aficionado of these types of series.) It is *brilliantly* acted, written, directed, and produced. The quality of the series is, in short, quite amazing. I only wish that it had continued, but I don't see any indications that it did continue, past these 6 episodes. In any case, if you're a fan of crime dramas, I would definitively recommend this series. It is truly stellar in its class of British excellence. (And let's face it, Britain has some of the finest actors and productions in the world, if not the finest. :D). Thanks to all involved in the production of this truly excellent series!
Underwhelming
GilBlas6 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This series was initially released as "Donovan," for the protagonist, Joseph Donovan, played by Tom Conti, and later as "DNA." Donovan is a retired expert in forensics and successful author whose personal life is complicated by his wife's serial infidelity. As the series opens, Donovan is asked to help the police with a murder investigation in which the name "Donovan" was scrawled in blood on the wall of the room in which the victim was found. It is not long before there is a second murder featuring Donovan's name writ large in blood at the scene. The direction the story is taking becomes clearer with the discovery of forensic evidence implicating Donovan, and he becomes suspect #1. Complicating matters for Donovan is his experiencing dissociative fugue - states during which he does things of which he has no memory - and Donovan's son having witnessed suspicious acts on the part of his father, acts his father denies. This opens the door to the possibility that Donovan committed the murders but has no memory of them. The police buy into this much quicker than will the astute viewer, who will realize that the series, then in its early episodes, has nowhere to go if Donovan is the murderer. Still, what unfolds might have been interesting had it been remotely plausible. Donovan's son, for example, who theretofore has not appeared overly enamored of his parents, falsely admits to having committed the murders so mum and dad can stay together. That is merely implausible. The following plot element from episode 2 is nothing short of bizarre.
Donovan, realizing he is being framed and knowing by whom, conducts a clandestine, and illegal, search of the suspect's home at night. He leaves on foot, via a footpath along a river, unaware that the suspect, having returned and witnessed his exit, is following him, iron pry bar in hand. The suspect stealthily overtakes Donovan, strikes a crushing blow to the back of his head, and rolls his body into the river. We see Donovan's body floating face down, carried away by the current, over a spillway and into the distance. Now this, coming about halfway through the second of five episodes, left me wondering how the writers were going to resurrect their main character. Well, resurrect him they did, because soon we see Donovan, looking as healthy as ever (with not so much as a bandage on his head!), plotting to expose his attacker. How did he survive having his skull bashed with a pry bar and his body committed to the river? No explanation is offered. In fact, there is no subsequent reference to the incident at all! It is as though it never happened.
For me, the series never recovered after that. Indeed, none of the following three episodes was potentially as interesting as the first two. The forensic aspects of the stories were not particularly interesting, and, as is often the case, the investigative team and the way in which it functioned were not realistic. Conti is good in the role of Donovan; indeed, he is the reason to watch the series. All in all, this is not a terrible series, but neither is it a particularly good one, either.
Donovan, realizing he is being framed and knowing by whom, conducts a clandestine, and illegal, search of the suspect's home at night. He leaves on foot, via a footpath along a river, unaware that the suspect, having returned and witnessed his exit, is following him, iron pry bar in hand. The suspect stealthily overtakes Donovan, strikes a crushing blow to the back of his head, and rolls his body into the river. We see Donovan's body floating face down, carried away by the current, over a spillway and into the distance. Now this, coming about halfway through the second of five episodes, left me wondering how the writers were going to resurrect their main character. Well, resurrect him they did, because soon we see Donovan, looking as healthy as ever (with not so much as a bandage on his head!), plotting to expose his attacker. How did he survive having his skull bashed with a pry bar and his body committed to the river? No explanation is offered. In fact, there is no subsequent reference to the incident at all! It is as though it never happened.
For me, the series never recovered after that. Indeed, none of the following three episodes was potentially as interesting as the first two. The forensic aspects of the stories were not particularly interesting, and, as is often the case, the investigative team and the way in which it functioned were not realistic. Conti is good in the role of Donovan; indeed, he is the reason to watch the series. All in all, this is not a terrible series, but neither is it a particularly good one, either.
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