Im Eishaus

The cover photo on the box has changed: it's now Daniel Craig, solo, to capitalize on his success as James Bond. And he is the one who makes this long--three hours--show work. I've rarely seen a man play a drinker better than Craig does here. At one point, he drops to the floor in exhaustion--he hasn't eaten all day--and Aldridge has to make him eat a candy bar to get his strength up. Truly, Sgt. McLaughlin needs some caring soul to look after him.

The story sometimes lags a bit; three hours is a lot of time to devote to a fairly simple story after all. But the acting is generally excellent. Kitty Aldridge is very good as the one-time Communist newspaper reporter who has a lot of secrets to keep from the police. Penny Downie, whom I last saw playing Gertrude to David Tennant's Hamlet, is really moving at times; she is playing a mother of adult children whose father abused them. Corin Redgrave will make you shudder at times: he's playing the lead officer in the investigation who has harassed some of the characters in the past. The supporting cast is generally good, save for the young woman who has to yell 'Lezzies' too many times for my liking. All in all, a good evening's entertainment.

I find it hard to believe that The Ice House was made back in 1997, watching it again I was surprised at just how fresh it feels. Only the cars and hairstyles seem to date it. The book is a great read, there's always a worry that something gets lost in translation when it's made for TV, not the case here, justice was done. It's a deep story, with more going on then meets the eye. At no point does it feel slow or padded, the characters are brilliantly brought to life, Downie, Redgrave and Craig all particularly good, but the surprise package for me was Kitty Aldridge, not an actress I knew a great deal about, but she was fantastic. Each Minette Walters adaptation that the BBC made I enjoyed, if only this kind of show was still being made. 9/10

Diane, Anne and Phoebe live a peaceful life in a glorious house, that bliss is shattered when a body is discovered in the ice House. The Police are called in.

A wonderful two part drama series, it's beautifully acted, produced, but best of all, it's a cracking whodunnit.

A tangled mystery, with plenty of red herrings thrown in, I really so miss the Minette Walters penned dramas, why did they have to stop them, each was excellent.

It takes some time before you learn who it is in the ice house, and how they ended up there, but the journey is well worth it, there is a lot packed in.

Daniel Craig for me is the standout, and that isn't the James Bond fan in me just opting for him. His performance is outstanding, but everyone contributes well in this.

Twenty four years on, and it's genuinely as good as when I first saw it, excellent, 9/10.

The Ice House at first appears to be your typical English murder mystery. Gradually some differences emerge:

1. the pace is quite slow, much closer to a real investigation.

2. your sympathies are with the suspects. You can see why they are sick of co-operating with such loutish police asking the same questions over and over, making all manner of accusations. The police are smirking, rude, bullying, homophobic.

3. You don't know for sure if the various murders actually happened, and if so, who was murdered. This multiplies the number of possibilities exponentially.

4. The townspeople are revolting. Based on rumours they are sure who the culprits are and are keen on vigilante justice. They are brutish and stupid, far scarier than any murderer.

5. Daniel Craig (of later James Bond fame) plays the second in charge inspector. He is an alcoholic. He undisciplined. He is even handsomer than he was as Bond, and somewhat scary in his volatility. The chief inspector is a despicable character who ignores evidence and abuses his power.

It is quite a subtle film, except for the final scene when Craig gives the townspeople a dressing down they will never forget. This movie requires patience and lots of thinking. It about characters, not plot.

'The Ice House' is a truly remarkable venture, both in terms of plot and of characterization. As far as the slowly unfolding plot is concerned, the film is second to hardly any of the British (TV) mysteries of recent years such as Inspector Morse etc. The main characters are portrayed in a convincing yet cinematically appropriate way. Right from the very beginning the film psychologically probes the dark sides of human nature keeping the viewer in tight suspense right to the very end. Worth seeing !