Review
After the muddled and anticlimactic conclusion of Prime Suspect 2, series creator Lynda LaPlante returned to the writer's desk to restore the luster to her brainchild. The result is Prime Suspect 3, one of the series' finest efforts, a dark and complex mystery full of operatic pathos and procedural detail. Typically fine in her signature role as Jane Tennison, Helen Mirren crams more emotion into the lighting of a single cigarette than the cast of most American detective shows can manage in 22 episodes. As in the original installment, Tom Bell provides a smarmy foil in the form of snide Sgt. Bill Otley. David Thewlis' thuggish pimp may make an over-the-top villain, but the celebrated character actor achieves a twisted Dickensian menace. As usual with Prime Suspect, the real chills come from the less obvious bad guys, whose identities are revealed only in fits and starts. Its dark subject matter may account for some of Prime Suspect 3's riveting power, but complex writing and finely tuned acting supply the balance. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Synopsis
Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) investigates the connection between a teen's murder and a pedophile ring in this third installment of the acclaimed BBC series Prime Suspect. Reassigned to a new district and a new department -- vice -- Tennison is drawn back to homicide when her squad discovers the immolated body of rent boy Connie (Greg Saunders) in the flat of timid transsexual Vera Reynolds (Peter Capaldi). The trail soon leads to James Jackson (David Thewlis), a vicious pimp with mysterious connections to Edward Parker-Jones (Ciarn Hinds), the director of a youth shelter where young Connie hung out. Forced to work alongside her old nemesis Sgt. Bill Otley (Tom Bell), Tennison spars with her superiors, who want her to focus on vice and resolve her homicide investigation posthaste. But when a TV reporter (Kelly Hunter) shows up with evidence that Connie was going to provide her with the names of his famous clients, Tennison must race to uncover the real motivation behind Connie's murder. The only installment other than the first to be written by series creator Lynda LaPlante, Prime Suspect 3 was filmed for the BBC and originally aired stateside on PBS. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
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