An Unsuitable Job For A Woman (Mystery!/WGBH Boston Video DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: D Documentary: B-
Compiling
four telefilms/two seasons of Helen Baxendale as Cordelia Gray, An Unsuitable Job For A Woman is a new
4-DVD set from WGBH form the ever-successful Mystery! series now hosted by
Diana Rigg. In the case of this DVD
release, the intros by the great star and Shakespearian actress are thankfully
retained. Created by Detective Adam
Dalgliesh author P.D. James, these are decent adaptations of a notable recent
book series, a few of which this critic has actually read.
Sacrifice introduces Cordelia, who is
mistaken at first for the “coffee girl” but soon take son the case with mixed
results at first. A Last Embrace shows her moving on to a case where she gets too
personally involved in other’s personal affairs through the case, but she is
still learning. The second set includes Living On Risk, as a surveillance job
may turn out to be a frame-up and Playing
God has Superintendent Fergussen hiring her to watch his daughter, but
might entail something darker and more disturbing.
The hook
is that she is new and has flawed character, which can be a nice change from
older female detectives more typical of the genre, yet putting her a generation
above Nancy Drew. However, each telefilm
sometimes dwells and counts too much on this and it holds back the mystery
aspects. Still, these are quality
productions some may find worth a look.
For others, it may seem just a step ahead of the “fuddy duddy” versions
of such series.
The 1.33
X 1 image is soft, from an older analog transfer of likely color film footage,
but it is too compelling not to watch in any condition. Color is plugged up and detail is an
issue. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has
no surrounds, but is cleaner and clearer than the picture. There are no real extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo