Le mystère de la villa blanche

JIGSAW is a well-shot, engaging crime story inspired by the true story of the Brighton Trunk Murders that took place back in the 1920s. Brighton always makes a picturesque backdrop for films - I guess that's why so many directors make use of it in their movies - and Hammer veteran Val Guest (THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT) makes the very best of his surroundings.

Otherwise, this is a taut, well-focused detective investigation type film that plays out as a police procedural. We watch the gruff Jack Warner and his team as they go around following up leads and gathering clues, and there's never a moment for distraction or anything here that feels padded. Guessing the identity of the murderer is a tough business indeed, which is why JIGSAW keeps you watching from beginning to end.

The supporting cast is also a delight, featuring as it does performances from Ronald Lewis (THE BRIGAND OF KANDAHAR), Ray Barrett (THE REPTILE) and Michael Goodliffe (A NIGHT TO REMEMBER) alongside a John Le Mesurier cameo. Guest's real-life wife, the statuesque Yolande Donlan, has a major role and is fine in it.

I was drawn straight into this film from the opening scenes and I never lost concentration once. Furthermore I didn't manage to guess the final outcome. A very intriguing police investigation and very well acted by all involved. Films of this nature can only be enjoyed once. I am glad I took the time to watch it.

Anyone who enjoys British TV crime drama such as Softly Softly, Taggart or Frost will be right at home with this unfamiliar and rarely shown film. It's wonderful to see a rather seedy early-sixties Brighton, and other than some rather choppy camera work which makes it look more like a 60s TV production than a film, it's surprisingly modern in it's pacing. Jack Warner is on good form, and despite playing a Detective Inspector on the verge of retirement, still looks a little old - even though this was filmed at least a decade before he finished playing Dixon of Dock Green! John Le Mesurier shines in a small role as a distraught father. I thought one or two of the cast perform a little too stiffly to make this a real classic, but its enjoyable nevertheless.

Despite the presence of Jack Warner as a senior policeman, the world of "Jigsaw" is a far cry from the cosy atmosphere of "Dixon of Dock Green". Effective camerawork makes Brighton a faintly sinister setting for this murder mystery. The standard of acting is generally high, (although I found Yolande Donlan's performance a little overwrought for my taste) and a strong script from Guest ensures that the detailed police investigation contains enough action (and unexpected revelations) to hold the viewer's interest to the very end.

Fast paced and wordy, Jigsaw tells the story of what appears to them to be a baffling murder.

Very much ahead of its time.

As in Dixon of Dock Green, Jack Warner seems too old and lacking in mobility to play a policeman, but he was good in the role and had a lot of machine-gun dialogue.

The film is shot in and around Brighton and features Saltdean and Lewes as well, which is of interest to me as I live in the area.

The film finishes very abruptly and I didn't consider the final piece of the jigsaw as being particularly significant when making a a case.

I did guess the perpetrator, although the person concerned did not really fit the role of a lothario with women swooning over him.