Prime Suspect: The Lost Child

As the superb `Prime Suspect' series reaches part four there is no loss of momentum at all, this in itself a considerable achievement.' Prime Suspect IV: The Lost Child' has the solid supporting cast that we take for granted in these British dramas but of course the beautiful Helen Mirren easily dominates; our eyes never leave her while she's on-screen.

The search for the lost child of the title leads Superintendent Jane Tennison's CID team to a prime suspect who turns out to be a convicted pedophile now living with a single mother and her two young daughters. The insight we are given into the workings of his mind is one of the emotional highlights of this mini-series but it may be too strong for many stomachs.

The action sequences are brilliantly handled with the hand-held camera thrusting us right into the middle of the excitement and there's gripping tension during the climactic siege.

Altogether this is another magnificent police procedural drama.

After having seen The Lost Child for quite a number of times since its release in 1995, and having read the reader's comments (mostly about Jane Tennison's background and Helen Mirren's superb role in it), it strikes me more than ever that no comments are made upon the brilliant role Robert Glenister is playing as Chris Hughes. Even after 10 years it is still one of the most credible ways of portraying the complex personality of a child abuser, carrying the weight of his own past.Watching the episode for the full one and a half hour makes you constantly switch between feelings of love and hate for this guy, in which the hate prevails because of the gravity of his actions. I have seen more brilliant roles of my favorite actor, but this one never fails to make the largest impression possible to me. Helen Mirren would never shine without these wonderful actors next to her. Praise for Robert Glenister!

I'm surprised that mine, so far, is the only comment on this t.v. movie...as far as I'm aware, the series itself, has had a huge following, reviewer pundits and real people alike, have praised it to a person. Anyway, let me tell you right away that, if like me, you're a sucker for gritty police dramas, you'll like "The Lost Child" Tennison, the heroine, throughout the "Prime Suspect"series, has been battling the male police establishment, throughout the series, getting to her present, comparatively powerful rank in the police hierarchy through hard work,obstinacy, and sheer talent for police work. She is,essentially, an ambitious career woman, but she has a romantic side and is certainly no man-hater. Unfortunately her relationships are affected by the wicked hours, which her career demands, and she has never married, so when she finds herself pregnant from her latest affair, she is faced with the choice of becoming a mother, and jeopardising her entire police job, let alone future advancement, or having an abortion - which she opts for. This abortion never looms large in the ensuing drama - it's very skilfully dealt with, in less than a couple of minutes screentime, a marvel of economy in scripting, and editing - but it's always there, as a counterpoint to Tennison's desperate efforts to find another "lost child" - a kidnap victim - before it's too late. The story takes many twists and turns,before the surprise ending, and one is fascinated, alike, by the plot, and characters (although I found the many villains a little overdrawn), the police, and especially Tennison, herself, are not always competent, nor that likeable, which figures, given the unpleasant job that they have to do, in the sleazy underworld which this series, habitually inhabits.

Mirren, herself, has said that she'll make no more movies in the series, but, excellent as she's always been in the role of Tennison, the series, itself, is as "actor proof" as is another addiction of mine -Dick Wolf's American"Law & Order" - whoever appears therein, each could go on forever. As is my fervent hope.

Sometimes the authorities have feet of clay. What looks open and shut proves to be anything but. This episode begins with Jane having an abortion. At the same time, a young single mother faces the terror of having her child kidnapped. Jane's guilt plays a factor in this episode, although it is delicately downplayed. A man who has been convicted as a pedophile is immediately made a suspect, and because the woman who has lost her child saw him once in a park, it is assumed he is guilty. No other suspects are investigated. Also, there is damning stuff brought out and, hence, the police become relentless. At one point the cops are sent to pick him up. He runs and he is beaten and ultimately thrown in front of a van. This is a really intense episode where we get to see how cockeyed things can get when objectivity flies out the window. The acting is superb, particularly that of the guy who is being pursued. Mirren is solid, as usual. This series which I had never heard of, is a hallmark of British television.

Having loved the first three 'Prime Suspect' series, when seeing all the episodes and series over-time since reviewing the first instalment a year ago, expectations were understandably very high. They were met with 'The Lost Child' but not quite surpassed.

'The Lost Child' is very good, terrific in its best moments and almost all elements are spot-on, just not quite as good as the first three series before it. It introduced quite a few changes in format, including Lynda La Plante not being involved and the lengths of the episodes being shorter, for the fourth series (of which 'The Lost Child' is part of) it was three cases clocking in around just over five hours overall for 'Prime Suspect IV' rather than one case split into two halves like in the first three 'Prime Suspect' series.

On the most part, the changes worked well. Parts of the story do feel slightly on the rushed side with the shorter length and while the climax was very powerful the final twist was not particularly a surprise. With that being said, it was somewhat of a good thing for the pacing to be tighter and not have quite as much filler (in no way intended to knock the first three series, just a comparative observation).

It is stylishly and cleverly filmed, with slick editing and atmospheric lighting, and there is a consistently wonderful atmosphere throughout. It is very gritty, if not quite as dark as 'Prime Suspect III', and effectively claustrophobic and even though the pacing is tighter it is also still deliberate. It is very hard to forget the music score too. The scripting, like its predecessor, is some of the best there is of any mystery/detective drama, being superbly constructed and intelligent.

Story-telling is very compelling and twisty, with an atmosphere that is gritty and harrowing but also intricate and honest. It is a complex story that keeps one guessing right up to the end while also being easy to follow. Tennison's personal life is balanced very well.

Jane Tennison continues to be an interesting character, the character and the depiction of the police force was very ahead of the time back in the 90s and holds much fascination now even if not so novel.

Helen Mirren gives a typically magnificent performance in the lead. Close behind her is a brilliant performance from Robert Glenister (it is agreed that his performance has inexplicably not been mentioned enough here), one that is chilling but very conflicted.

Altogether, harrowing and often terrific if a slight step down from what came before. 9/10 Bethany Cox