The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is an emotive Australian crime drama, with an outstanding cast and lavish sets and detail. It is a telemovie of Fergus Hume's book, first published in Australia in 1886. Set in Melbourne, it brings to vivid life the privilege and struggle of the upper and lower classes of Melbournian life from the 1800s.

The plot centers around an engaged couple whose marriage is left in limbo when the groom is held on charges of murdering an odious blackmailer to the Bride's affluent Father. It has an almost Wildean sense of society and emotion, and in true crime tradition, the viewer is left pondering the guilty right to the end.

The all Australian cast has a strong gravitas. Sometimes the period's drab and flowing attire causes a little confusion of who is who, but eventually faces stick to characters, and the viewer connects to the intriguing plot. The two detectives have dissimilar, but striking charms. "Kenny"'s Shane Jacobson is a little out of his depth as the main prosecutor; but plays an entertaining role, while Felix Williamson is devilishly suave as Shane's sharply-cut adversary in law. Jessica De Gouw is lovable as the bride-to-be, and together with the groom, Brian Fitzgerald, they make a charming couple whose drama fills the movie. Michael Carman plays a lovely characterised villain. John Waters as the family patriarch , and Marco Chiappi as his friend and barrister, have strong and grounding presences.

Sets are beautiful and graphic; though not as lavish as overseas productions. And on occasion, prominent Melbourne locations are shot with CGI backdrops of the olden town. The back-street dens have a glamour and seediness that brings them to vivid life (similarly to "The Harp in the South"), and the splendor of the mansions is convincing, though shot on a smallish budget.

Mention should also be made of the smooth but engaging score. and production on the whole is creditable.

Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a period drama that the BBC churn-out - with more polish, but less charm - but that Australian cinema does not achieve so often. This lovely but sometimes-confusing movie is definitely worth a second viewing.

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Odd murderer WASN'T the primary suspect all along supporting actors are NOT subtle they have a daughter living on the streets, and the woman everyone assumes is their daughter is illegitimate

I seem to be in the minority, but I think "The Mystery of the Hansom Cab" is a rather dull made for TV movie. So much of it consists of a 'big secret' that, in hindsight, isn't much of a payoff.

A man is very drunk late at night and falls into the gutter. He's helped by a passerby into a handsom cab (a type of carriage) and soon he is murdered. The who seems to be far less important in the film as opposed to why, as there's some HUGE secret that they talk about for nearly all the film. Suffice to say, they build it up so much that when you learn the truth, it seems pretty disappointing. In addition to the disappointing mystery, the film also features some significan overacting...particularly by some of the poor folks in the movie. It seems that poor people scream a lot...at least in this story.

Overall, I found this one to be pretty dull considering how long it took until there was the payoff at the end. Worth seeing if you aren't demanding but it could have been better.

Look its not a sophiticated story but unlike so much of todays TV/Movies it actually have a story with a beginning middle and end. Basically well done and satisfying show.

The original novel was a best-seller in its day. This screen adaptation was about as convincing as a junior high school production. Nothing seemed to work ... accents were inconsistent and inaccurate, delivery was appalling, script was poorly constructed. Sets, costumes, sound, make-up and lighting were ridiculously caricatured. At times it seemed as if the whole thing were supposed to be some sort of joke. I kept waiting for a punchline which never arrived. As it progressed, I felt more and more uncomfortable and acutely embarrassed that overseas viewers might think that we're actually proud of material such as this.

It's hard to understand how such a talented group of Australian actors could put their names to such amateurish rubbish.

Such a disappointment!