Alibi (British TV)
Picture: C
Sound: B- Extras: C- Telefilm/Mini-Series: B-
A middle-aged, married man (Michael Kitchen) accidentally
murders his wife’s lover and convinces a waitress (Sophie Okonedo) from a
catering company to not say anything about it because it was “truly” an
accident. They dump the body, but their
troubles are just beginning in David Richard’s Alibi, a 2003 British TV
production originally shown in two parts.
Here on DVD from Koch Vision, it is presented as a full-length feature.
Of course, the body soon surfaces and though the unlikely
duo hoped it would be considered an accidental death by the owner’s automobile
losing control, the investigators quickly figure out something is not right
here and that it was no accident. The
duo does what they can to cover their tracks and figure that especially because
of their different socio-economic classes in England and its infamous caste
system, the odds of their secret being discovered is slim. Of course, it will not necessarily work out
that way.
Paul Abbott, who has written successfully for British
series like Touching Evil and Cracker, pulls off a teleplay that
has just enough humor without it being overdone. A big part of the credit has to go to Kitchen and Okonedo. Kitchen has been great for decades on
British TV in telefilms like Caught On A Train and series like Foyle’s
War (both reviewed elsewhere on this site), while Okonedo’s star continues
to rise since her Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda. No matter how funny, the piece stays serious
enough, which in turn makes it even funnier and more intense.
The 1.33 X 1 image is a bit soft and disappointing, though
this is well shot for a TV project, making it the only problem here. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has good Pro
Logic surrounds and makes playback more compelling, especially with dialogue
that is clear enough to enjoy the back and forth between the leads. The only extra is a preview made for the TV
broadcast. You are bound to really
enjoy this one, so don’t miss it.
- Nicholas Sheffo
