DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION
UK, 1990, 105 minutes, Colour.
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Julia Lane, Patrick Malahide.
Directed by Sandy Johnson.
Driven to Distraction is an Inspector Morse story, an interesting mystery and a possibility of appreciating British detection, mistakes and success. John Thaw is excellent as the morose Morse, Kevin Whately as Inspector Lewis. The screen play, as with Deceit by Flight, was written by Anthony Minghella (writer/director of Truly, Madly, Deeply).
This is a smaller scale Inspector Morse mystery, Oxford settings, ordinary citizens being murdered, the focus on a car saleyard and a driving school. In this film, Inspector Morse makes a dire mistake, victimising someone who did not commit the crimes. It highlights audiences suspicions of characters - without sufficient evidence. Once again, the mystery is interesting, characters well drawn - entertaining television.
1. The popularity of Inspector Morse mysteries? The quality of the crime story and mystery, police work and detection?
2. Designed for the television audience, the Oxford environment, the characters, crime and investigation? Musical score, including classics?
3. The title, the focus - the victims and the murderer?
4. The Oxford setting, Morse anal Lewis in the car, the first victim ahead of them? Her going home, letting the murderer into the house? The death? Angela and her concern? The links with similar murders and assaults?! The possibility of tying the killings together? The character of the murdered woman, the other victims?
5. The suspects, Tim Abbott and his relationship with the dead woman, her pregnancy? His being upset? Angela as neighbour? Boynton and his selling the cars to the victims? His suspicious behaviour, his threats to Angela about exposing her and the marijuana? His behaviour at the saleyard? His assistant? The scenes at the driving school, Derek Whittaker and his collapse when the police were present? His taking Morse for driving instruction? Lewis and his involvement?
6. Inspector Morse and his work, style? Investigations? Demands on Lewis? The briefings? The woman detective and her skill in women's crimes? Their following women - and making mistakes? The techniques of linking the victims? The discovery of Boynton, their visits to his showroom, the discussions about Jaguars? Boynton feeling humiliated? The interviews with Tim Abbott and his violent attack on Boynton, setting fire to the saleyard? Boynton and his injuries, going to hospital? The interviews with Angela and with Tim?
7. The focus on Boynton as criminal, Morse's conviction, going through his files, the woman detective helping? Levels and the assistant going home? The computer, the earlier victim? The audience glimpsing her, her Asian background, the woman detective: interviewing her? Morse and his decision to have driving lessons?
8. Derek Whittaker, his explanations of buying cars? Audience attention on Boynton? The realisation that he was the common denominator, his wife in the institution, his attack on the women? His being the murderer?
9. Morse and his mistake over Boynton, Boynton's release, the hostility - and audiences having to look at his behaviour and retrospect innocence? Morse making the peace offering with the Jaguar wheel?
10. The resolution of the mystery, the quality of the investigation, superior officers and their intervention, Morse and his skills, intuition, mistakes? Lewis and his support? Entertaining crime and mystery story?
