Armadillo

"Armadillo" is one of those rarities in which the screen version of an excellent novel actually lives up to the original text. This is no doubt due to the fact that William Boyd adapted the script from his own novel of the same name and that Boyd is also no stranger to script writing, having penned "Chaplin", "A Good Man in Africa" and "The Trench".

The cast is first class, a who's who of film and television, with standout performances from James Frain, Stephen Rea and Trevor Peacock (also excellent in another great TV show "The Underworld"). The plot, far from being cliched or contrived, is actually quite complex, with a mix of dodgy geezers including shady loss adjusters, even shadier insurance companies, cowboy builders, Romanian gipsies and a half-mad juggler who's convinced his wife is cheating on him.

The photography is impressive with some good shots of London which appears dark and intimidating but also sparkling with affluence.

"Armadillo" shows just how good British television can be with the right material and a good cast - in other words someone showing a bit of imagination and ambition rather than pitching yet another boring hospital or detective series.

I first have to thank a previous poster, teri_2, who recommended those interested in seeing Armadillo to first try and track down the version that appeared on BBC1 as opposed to the heavily edited, hacked up version that appeared on A&E.

Thank you so very, very much, teri_2.

I saw Armadillo on A&E and absolutely loved it. I contemplated buying it -- on A&E -- and then I saw teri_2's post.

I was able to track down a VHS copy of Armadillo as it was originally shown on BBC1 on ebay and I have to say, it is a far, far superior version.

The editing was seamless, not as choppy as the one shown on A&E, and actually flushed out the story and characters much, much more.

James Frain absolutely took my breath away. What a performance.

And the music -- if anyone can get a listing of the songs that were featured in the film please email me! Beautiful, absolutely stunningly beautiful.

Having seen this very entertaining program -- even the shortened A&E version -- I'm going to have to now go out and find William Boyd's book to see how closely it follows. James Frain was a superb choice to play the conflicted Lorimer Black/Milo Bloch, star insurance adjuster who finds himself in the middle of a convoluted insurance fraud scheme that lays bare the corruption behind everything he has held dear and aspired to. Catherine McCormack is delectable as the love interest he impulsively pursues; she is formidably chic with a "watch your step" edge. Hugh Bonneville's Torquil Helvoir-Jayne (!) is the epitome of a stupid jerk, but with the oddly likable quality of a guy who's just too much of a doof to be completely blamed for his shortcomings. James Fox does another of his capably elegant upper-class turns, this time playing a character much like his role in "Sexy Beast." But I have to say that, for me at least, Stephen Rea virtually stole the show -- his George Hogg, with all of his eccentric metaphors and his paranoiac rages, is so over the top at times it's hilarious. Throw in a cool, stylish music score and some excellent supporting players (including veterans such as Ian McNiece, Trevor Peacock, Stephen Moore and Ron Cook) and you have a sophisticated tale of corporate misbehavior that you'll want to watch more than once.

Character-driven with a carefully-constructed plot, Howard Davies'

tautly-directed "Armadillo" is top quality television, more satisfying

than any theatrical movie in recent months, including "Road to

Perdition." William Boyd's script, about an insurance adjuster who

is not what he seems while he tries to puzzle out a claim that is

something other than what it purports to be, draws in the viewer

from the moment the film opens with James Frain walking

through the charred structure he's investigating. Frain is perfect for

the role--vulnerable, expressive, sympathetic. His developing

romance with Catherine McCormick is fully realized. Hugh

Bonneville somehow empathetically portrays one of the most vile

characters in memory, and Stephen Rea amuses with his over-the-top characterization of the insurance adjuster's enigmatic

and bombastic boss. Beautifully photographed, the camera

follows the adjuster as he pries into the mysteries of the claim

he's investigating and captures the tension between the two

lovers. At three hours it's a bit long, but I watched it twice. And I'll

probably take another look.

Does anyone know where i can get a copy of this TV series or a copy of the soundtrack i'm desperately looking for a friend. This is an excellent series. I have looked every where to get a copy and need to find it. Has anyone got any suggestions as to where i could purchase it or download it even. Any information about its availability would be appreciated. I know its not a real review but if you haven't seen it i recommend you do. Then give it to me to see again lol. Thanks I cant think of anymore to add but i need 10 lines apparently so sorry for waffling on. Cheeky i know but i am getting desperate and i don't know where else to post this request.