Framed

Following his all too brief reign as Bond, Timothy Dalton is here utterly compelling throughout as the charismatic, beguiling, sociopath Eddie Myers, a big-time criminal presumed dead, but discovered hiding in plain site near a British tourist haven in Spain. Back in England he agrees to become a 'supergrass' and the keen young detective who first spotted him is surprisingly appointed to the vital role of working closely with him, extracting his extensive knowledge of the underworld.

Likely to have been suggested by the previous year's hugely influential SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, this is developed in a somewhat predictable fashion. Attempts to portray the police at work as realistically as possible, with lots of use of the hand-held camera, do little to tone-down the improbabilities in the plotting, which leaves several loose ends. Timothy West's fast-talking, beer-swilling, DCI and the police banter, particularly regarding Myers' health food obsession, provide some fun, but there's too much soap opera. Altogether, not in the same league as excellent La Plante series' PRIME SUSPECT and WIDOWS, but certainly a must for fans of its star.

Unfortunately the full, four-hour version of FRAMED is not available in the U.S. The two-hour DVD presentation (which aired in America on A&E) is at times difficult to follow due to the convoluted plot line, but is well worth seeing for the compelling performances by Timothy Dalton, David Morrissey and the rest of the cast in a psychological crime thriller where you are never quite sure how it will end up until almost the very last moment. Dalton plays a criminal playboy mastermind who is slippery beyond belief and gives a hard-hitting, edgy performance in a demanding role... possibly his best ever. (Let's just say this character makes James Bond look like Mr. Bean by comparison!) Morrissey is great as the eager young cop who falls under his influence. If you enjoyed movies like INSIDE MAN or SILENCE OF THE LAMBS you'll probably find this worth viewing.

Fortunately, most of Dalton's performance is preserved in the two-hour version, which nevertheless cuts out a lot of scenes involving David Morrisey's character and his wife, and Dalton's interactions with "his girls," as well as the vast majority of the series' first episode that takes place in Spain.

I've only seen this in the 'edited' DVD form. If this is indeed cut to bits like I've read, the original must have been fantastic. I thought that the performances of David Morrissey and Timothy Dalton were riveting.

Made in 1992 when the 'Costa Del Crime' was a big news issue in the Uk, frequently featuring in British tabloids, this centers on a big time criminal, who is supposed to be dead, spotted by a young cop on a familiy holiday in Spain. He is quickly repatriated to the UK where he offers to tell all, but only to the young policeman who found him.

David Morrissey is subsequently put in a secret underground location to eat, sleep and live with Timothy Dalton to extract all the info about the crimes, criminals and whereabouts of all the ill gotten gains.

Timothy Dalton plays the manipulative, charismatic and sometimes creepy Eddie Myers brilliantly and the young, naive Morrissey is slowly drawn into Eddie's world of wealth, high living and young girls.

Also a shout out to Timothy West who plays the old fashioned gruff Chief Inspector in charge of the case, the like of which would never survive in todays 'enlightened' met.

This is another fine offering from the pen of Lynda La Plante and highly recommended.

It's a shame that A&E's pitifully-edited version of Framed is the only one most American audiences have seen; for it showcases one of Timothy Dalton's most striking performances. As Eddie Myers, Dalton is charming, frightening, slimy, and charismatic. Down to the last scene, you're never sure what he will do. Hopefully, the full PAL version translated to NTSC will eventually be available in the US. In the meantime, watch the A&E version (they replay it occasionally). It's better than nothing.