Eiskaltes Duell

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.