CASE SENSITIVE: THE OTHER HALF LIVES
UK, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Olivia Williams, Darren Boyd, Eva Birthistle, Theo James, Peter Wight, Emily Beecham.
Directed by John Strickland.
Case Sensitive: Point of Rescue and Case Sensitive: The Other Half Lives a to television movies adapted from novels by Sophie Hannah.
The films focus on the work of a rather tough yet vulnerable police detective in a British Town, Charlie Zailer. She is played with great strength, often rugged, often over-sensitive by Olivia Williams. Her associate, Simon, with whom she has a sexual relationship, while in public being severe and sometimes dismissive of him, is played by Darren Boyd. She is both emotional and demanding on those she interviews. He is blunt and seemingly insensitive. There are many scenes at police headquarters, with the chief often critical of Charlie, and one of the officers, Colin, continually mocking her. These characters appear in both films.
The Other Half Lives is much more straightforward in its presentation of its plot but it also has a twist. While life at the centre and the police interactions are immediately to the fore, with Charlie and Simon investigating, but she falling victim to suspicion and jealousy of the younger officer in the force.
A young woman, with the good teaching job, has left her husband and entered into a relationship with a pianist, with whom she is infatuated. He indicates that there is something dark in his past and she becomes suspicious, even to following him into London. Then her husband is murdered. Because she has lied about visiting her husband, she is arrested and is under suspicion. The musician has also clashed with the husband so he too is under suspicion. There is some ambiguity with the name Mary which ultimately leads to the solution of the plot and a happy ending with neither of the suspects guilty of the crime.
The films are interesting as murder mysteries, as police investigations, as well as the unusual relationship between the intense officer and her taciturn associate.
1. The police story, an interesting case, the police and their method of investigation, following leads, gathering information, interviews, police expertise, limits? Twists?
2. The town, the police precincts, homes, schools, atmosphere? The musical score?
3. Olivia Williams as Charlie, age, experience, personality, in command, Simon as her associate, her being his boss, her interviews, his hard style, the toll on her? Detective work, interviews, leads, frustrations, consulting experts, dangers, threats? Handling the situation? And the background relationship between Charlie and Simon?
4. Simon, in himself, serious, his work, his treatment by Charlie, the sexual relationship, unemotional, looking for evidence and facts, following leads, the discussions?
5. The staff, the boss, hard line attitudes, Colin and his cheekiness, the taunts?
6. The initial focus on Ruth and Aidan? Their love for each other? Her teaching in a school and her reputation? His musical background, the revelation about his studies and his ability, pulling out, and not going for his recital, disappearing for 10 years, his work as a piano tuner, his reputation? Ruth and her infatuation, in love?
7. Work of the police precinct, the boss and his severity, the examination of financial fraud? His making demands on Charlie? On Simon? Charlie and her relationship with Simon, severity, the night together? His seemingly unemotional behaviour? Criticisms of Charlie in her excluding him from interviews? Her petulant behaviour? Thinking Simon was flirting with the young officer? Her taking the girl to task? Making demands? Getting over her jealousy, praising the girl? The effect of the relationship on the investigation?
8. Her classes and the martial arts, meeting Ruth, hitting her by accident, their talking, having a coffee, Ruth and talking about her friend, really about Aidan and his hurting someone called Mary? Charlie remembering this, going to visit Ruth?
9. Charlie going to Jason’s house, finding the body, his being dead for some days, tracking his movements, going to the hotel, the CC TV footage? Later identifying Mary in the group?
10. Searching houses, giving evidence? The divorce document, her lies, her fingerprints? Arrest, her explanation about going to the house, the sexual behaviour with Jason, but leaving? Her suspicions of Aiden, his going to London, her following, seeing him with Mary, his wanting to get into the house, the time of her arrest?
11. Charlie and Simon going to the Guildhall, discussions with the music professor, the background to eight and?
12. Going to the hotel, the interview, the CCTV footage?
13. Discovering more about Aiden and his family, Mary as his stepsister, the mother drinking? Going to the house, discussing with the neighbours, the woman falling down the stairs, her being smothered?
14. Mary and her following, stalking Ruth, going to Jason’s house? Meeting with Ruth, Ruth and her realizing the truth, escaping, Mary stabbing her, in the boot of the car?
15. Charlie and Simoon working out what happened, Mary and her infatuation with her brother, protecting him, murdering their mother, Aiden taking the blame, disappearing, Mary finding him again, the truth Aiden dismayed and discovering what Mary had done, her attack on Ruth? His recital?
16. Charlie and Simon, hurrying to find Mary, the confrontation, her going in front of the car, using the phone to find Ruth in the back of the car, the rescue?
17. A satisfying ending for Charlie and Simon, the investigation, a future for Ruth and Aidan?
