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First, Salma Hayak is a thief. She is billed below all the other leads in the opening credits, but she absolutely steals the show. I have never cared at all about this actress before, but she is devastatingly good here. It is a deeply truthful and vivid portrait of a very dark psyche. And this film is brimming over with robust and compelling performances. Even supporting roles that only have a few lines are cast with exceptionally talented actors. Story: it's true, and the director is the grandson of the lead detective. The storyline always serves the well-developed characters and what motivates them. Production Values: Attention to 1940's period detail is both very accurate, and full of interesting choices.

If there is any reason to watch this remake, it is Alan Bates' brief appearance as Agrippa. This was his very last, and his easy brilliance is a treasure, as always. There is also some decent camera work and editing in this mini-series. Poor Goran V. is horribly miscast as Spartacus. If he had hoped to break his type-cast as a thoughtful, well-spoken intellectual type with this role, he should have put some organic, animalistic effort into it. Vin Diesel (whom I detest) would have been better casting for this part. And as much as I sometimes tire of Kirk Douglas's over-the-top acting, his raw power in the original Spartacus was a world-away more convincing.