Prime Suspect 2

Starring:Helen Mirren, Colin Salmon, John Benfield, Jack Ellis (III), Craig Fairbrass, Richard Hawley, Philip Wright, Ian Fitzgibbon, Andrew Tiernan, Stafford Gordon, Lloyd McGuire, Stephen Boxer, Nirjay Mahindru, Claire Benedict, George Harris (II), Fraser James, Ashley James (II), Junior Laniyan, Jenny Jules, Josephine Melville
Director: John Strickland
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

In the first Prime Suspect, Helen Mirren's ballsy woman Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennyson battled the boys club and their sexist barbs to prove herself in a chauvinist department. In Prime Suspect 2, she's assigned to head a racially charged murder investigation in a largely African/Caribbean neighborhood. It's politics as usual in the image-conscious organization, so the superintendent adds to the team black Detective Robert Oswalde (Colin Salma), a sharp but hot-headed investigator who has just broken off an affair with Tennyson. Now Tennyson grapples with her own conflicted feelings while fighting political and public-relations battles both in the media and within the police system itself in the midst of investigating the labyrinthine case. Between the scant clues left to sift, a prime suspect on the verge of death himself, and divisions in her own team that result in a devastating death, Tennyson soon begins to suspect she's been hung out to dry by the department. Screenwriter Allan Cubitt dives into the murky waters of volatile racial and social relations to create an even more complex and compelling mystery in Tennyson's second appearance, and Mirren rises to the challenge to explore the contradictions of an uncompromising cop in a compromising position. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Helen Mirren is Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the second season of Prime Suspect. This case involves a death in the Afro-Caribbean community that puts D.C.I. Tennison and the rest of the police force in the middle of a racial controvery.

Customer Reviews:

Big Fan.......2007-07-06

I really enjoyed the 2nd episode. It has all the original cast, and shows the transition of Det. Tennyson. Its a rehash for me, I saw all on PBS. Its great to see quality in this dumbed down world.

No Sophomore Slump Here!.......2007-04-24

Prime Suspect 2 is just as well made and compelling as its predecessor. This story was especially interesting because of the race relations angle that was a focus of much of the program. Helen Mirren's Jane is not always a likable character but she seems very very real and the series really showcases what a fine actress Mirren is.

Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie.......2007-03-15

Helen Mirren is the best. I wish I had "discovered" her and this series a long time ago. Great stories without all the trappings of plastic Hollywood series.

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-22

Another great movie with Helen Mirren.. Great for detective and crime story fans!

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre: Prime Suspect 6 [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Prime Suspect 6
All Helen Mirren Prime Suspect Series which I purchased
Wonderful as always!
Great Way to End
They saved the best for last

ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre: Prime Suspect 6 [Region 2]
Starring: Helen Mirren , Oleg Menshikov , Ben Miles , Robert Pugh , and Clare Holman
Director: Tom Hooper (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 4
Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 1

ASIN: B000189KX4

Amazon.com

Helen Mirren returns in triumph to the role that brought her international stardom, British police inspector Jane Tennison, in the sixth series of Prime Suspect. Tennison finds herself being pressured to retire and responds by seizing a difficult homicide investigation: A young female Bosnian refugee has been tortured and murdered. As the trail begins to suggest connections to war atrocities in the Balkans, Tennison finds herself struggling with resistance from higher up, uncooperative and ambitious underlings, and deeply buried secrets. The strength of Prime Suspect has always been how it merges suspenseful detective work with an intricate grasp of police politics, and The Last Witness is no exception. The plot unfolds masterfully, the program is directed with striking visual style, and Mirren (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, Gosford Park) commands the screen. Her authority in this role, honed through five previous series, is unmatchable; the richness of the character--steely, sexy, obsessive, rash, cunning--makes Prime Suspect essential viewing. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Prime Suspect 6.......2007-03-11

I really enjoy Helen Mirren movies. I do have a hard time making out the dialogue, but it is well worth viewing.

All Helen Mirren Prime Suspect Series which I purchased.......2007-03-08

All of them are fantastic - they are in my classic collection and I value them

Wonderful as always!.......2007-02-12

I am on pins and needles for the DVD of Prime Suspect 7!

Great Way to End.......2007-01-17

Ending a series usually goes betraying the characters or their fans. This was the exception, of course HM's acting was impecable but the writing was great, the closest it can get to reality, to human condition and at the same time leaves you with a sense of hope for a very dear character regardless of her flaws and not so wise decisions. Not tragic, not fairy tale, simply positive and realistic and hopeful. As long as there is hope... It will be missed!!!

They saved the best for last.......2006-04-27

Prime Suspect 6 is, without question, the best of the Prime Suspect series. The combination of a stellar cast, a fantastic script, inventive cinematography, and a haunting score add up to one of the more entertaining dramas I've seen, period. Helen Mirren is, as usual, outstanding in the role of Jane Tennison. The character is as strong as ever there is a real depth to her character in PS6, including some great scenes with Jane's father. I recommend this wholeheartedly. If you're a fan of Prime Suspect, and who else would be looking at this, you are going to love it.

I agree that the fact it is not widescreen is a disappointment, but it is still very enjoyable. I believe the UK edition (widescreen) is now out of print, so this is the one we've got. I'm not complaining.

Average customer rating:

Big Fan
No Sophomore Slump Here!
Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie
Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 2

Prime Suspect 2
Starring: Helen Mirren , Colin Salmon , John Benfield , Jack Ellis (III) , and Craig Fairbrass
Director: John Strickland
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 4
Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 6 - The Last Witness

ASIN: 6304911602
Release Date: 1998-08-05

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Big Fan.......2007-07-06

I really enjoyed the 2nd episode. It has all the original cast, and shows the transition of Det. Tennyson. Its a rehash for me, I saw all on PBS. Its great to see quality in this dumbed down world.

No Sophomore Slump Here!.......2007-04-24

Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie.......2007-03-15

Helen Mirren is the best. I wish I had "discovered" her and this series a long time ago. Great stories without all the trappings of plastic Hollywood series.

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-22

Another great movie with Helen Mirren.. Great for detective and crime story fans!

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child [Region 2]
Starring: Helen Mirren , Beatie Edney , Robert Glenister , Lesley Sharp , and Tracy Keating
Director: John Madden
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 2
Masterpiece Theatre - Painted Lady (1997)

ASIN: B00008YNEF

Prime Suspect 1 / Prime Suspect 2 (2 Pack)

Average customer rating:

Prime Suspect 1 / Prime Suspect 2 (2 Pack)

Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00020E29I

Product Description

Average customer rating:

Dealing in stereotypes
Helen Mirren, the BEST!
Prime Suspect 1
Still Prime!
The only one to buy after the first.

Prime Suspect 3 [Region 2]
Starring: Helen Mirren , Peter Capaldi , Michael Shannon , Greg Saunders , and David Thewlis
Director: David Drury
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 4
Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 6 - The Last Witness

ASIN: B00008YNEB

Customer Reviews:

Dealing in stereotypes.......2007-07-03

In several of the entries in the "Prime Suspect" series Helen Mirren, as Detective Chief Inspector (later Superintendant) Jane Tennison and the writing have richly deserved all the accolades that have been heaped upon them over nearly twenty years, but that unfortunately is not the case here. This is the only entry besides the first that was written by the series creator Lynda LaPlante, but the writing is extremely weak. This time, Tennison is trying to uncover the truth about a gay pedophilic ring that involves murder, molestation, and child pornography, and all the gay characters Tennison interviews are either delicate victims or monstrous predators (or both). Everything seems lurid and sensationalistic. The director, David Drury, made the ghastly choice to have a boy's choir pipe in incessantly every time Tennison's detectives come across one of the young street hustlers, as if we might forget that innocence has been corrupted. We are also treated to such cliches as fluttery drag queens and menacing AIDS-infected children who inflict deadly bites on the detectives; and it's no good excusing all this by chalking it up to the attitudes of the times, because by 1994 LaPlante truly should have known better. The stereotyping of gay characters is so excessive that in the first episode I knew that there'd have to be at least one suicide attempt among the gay characters: there are no less than three of these, and since two of them seem wildly telegraphed ahead of time in Tennison's immediate proximity she seems like a terrible detective. And she doesn't seem much better as a boss, either, this time around. Usually Tennison must contend with both superiors and subordinates constantly undermining her authority because of her gender, but though her superiors are genuinely out to get her again, here Tennison's underlings seem to be doing the best they can, even though they're constantly being barked at by her for everything imaginable. If you hadn't seen the previous entrants in the series, you'd just think she were just an unpleasant crank.

Mirren, normally an unimpeachable actress, seems to have been done no favors by Drury who allows her to engage in all kinds of distracting bits of "business," like chomping away at her nicotine gum like a house afire to show her distraction and anxiety. David Thewlis, who is also equally talented, also gives a performance that is all tics as the nasty street hustler who is Tennison's prime suspect in the murder of an underage rent boy, and purses his lips over and over again when being interviewed by Tennison and her staff. It's impossible to believe that either he or Ciaran Hinds (here, flat and dull) could deliver any of the menace or charisma needed to keep so many young victims in line. The other actors fare much better, particularly James Frain as a sweet-sad molestation victim and Peter Capaldi as a nervous drag queen. They, and the machinery of the plot, are really all that keeps this production afloat.

Helen Mirren, the BEST!.......2007-03-15

Loved Prime Suspect, Season 2
Wish I had known about this series years ago but so glad I did eventually find out about it! I'll get all seasons eventually. GREAT price!
I don't feel like I'm watching TV. I feel like I'm watching a well made movie!

Prime Suspect 1.......2007-03-08

Beautiful performances by all involved and thrilling to watch. Involves the viewer from the start, great murder mystery. Helen Mirren is excellent!

Still Prime!.......2006-03-18

Get ready to enjoy another installment of the enthralling police crime drama that highlights the talent of Helen Mirren. This deeply disturbing tale of homeless boy prostitutes brings out the dark side of police investigation--at all ranks!

The only one to buy after the first........2004-02-26

The only Prime Suspect installment (other than the original) to be authored by Lynda La Plante, Prime Suspect 3 once again displays the hallmarks of La Plante's journalistic research base for creating fictional characters. In this case, "rent boys" are the fuel: young male prostitutes/street kids, and in particular one heartbreaking interview where a rent boy had told La Plante that he couldn't have AIDS, because he was only 15.

Customer Reviews:

Glen Berry, Linda Henry and Scott Neal.......2007-03-18

These 2 actors and a actress is also known in the movie called Beautiful Thing.

Tennison's Finest Hour.......1999-07-22

Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison is back, and this time it could be her toughest case to date. A copycat serial killer is on the loose, and he's using the same type of torture on his victims once used by a man named Marlowe, a serial killer Tennison convicted in the very first of the Prime Suspect series. But is the current killer really a copycat? Could Tennison have wrongfully put away Marlowe all those years ago? Even a best-selling book has been written about Marlowe's arrest and imprisonment, portraying Tennison as a cold woman whom hastily put away the wrong man strictly to advance her career.

Although Tennison is unwavering in her certainty that Marlowe committed the original murders and a copycat is on the loose, she has an uphill battle with her fellow police detectives, the majority believing the author's contention that Tennison screwed up. Tennison has stepped on a few toes over the years, especially ones belonging to male detectives, and her enemies are eager to exploit the Marlowe situation. The Marlowe case file is reopened and scrutinized, and Tennison finds herself having to prove over again that Marlowe committed the murders she arrested him for ... and she has few allies to support her position.

As in all of the "Prime Suspect" episodes, Tennison's role as a woman in a male-dominated police force remains a central theme throughout "Scent of Darkness." The antagonism of her male superiors to prove her a failure regarding Marlowe seems to validate Tennison's anxieties. But nothing stops Jane Tennison when she's on the trail of a prime suspect.

Although much shorter than the majority of the "Prime Suspect" series, this particular episode nevertheless delivers a powerful and compelling story. It also showcases Helen Mirren's remarkable talent to make Jane Tennison a realistic, believable character, a rarity when it comes to 'middle-aged' women in film. From Tennison's arrogance and paranoia to her passion and empathy, Helen Mirren provides a solid, three-dimensional performance. In fact, Helen Mirren's portrayal of Tennison in "Scent of Darkness" earned her an Emmy Award for Best Actress. Watch this movie and you'll see why.

Average customer rating:

Big Fan
No Sophomore Slump Here!
Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie
Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 2

Prime Suspect 2 [Region 2]
Starring: Helen Mirren , Colin Salmon , John Benfield , Jack Ellis (III) , and Craig Fairbrass
Director: John Strickland
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 4
Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 6 - The Last Witness

ASIN: B00008YNE9

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Big Fan.......2007-07-06

I really enjoyed the 2nd episode. It has all the original cast, and shows the transition of Det. Tennyson. Its a rehash for me, I saw all on PBS. Its great to see quality in this dumbed down world.

No Sophomore Slump Here!.......2007-04-24

Detective Series, Quality of a well made movie.......2007-03-15

Helen Mirren is the best. I wish I had "discovered" her and this series a long time ago. Great stories without all the trappings of plastic Hollywood series.

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-22

Another great movie with Helen Mirren.. Great for detective and crime story fans!

Prime Suspect 2.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circles [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

This is one of the best PRIME SUSPECT movies ever.

Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circles [Region 2]
Starring: Helen Mirren , Thomas Russell , James Laurenson , Helene Kvale , and Jill Baker
Director: Sarah Pia Anderson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Prime Suspect 3
Prime Suspect 1
Prime Suspect 5
Prime Suspect 2
Prime Suspect 4

ASIN: B00008YNED

Customer Reviews:

This is one of the best PRIME SUSPECT movies ever........2000-06-23

Out of all of the Prime Suspect movies, this is one of the best ones. As always, the cast, including Helen Mirren, gives strong, believable performances; and the writing and dialogue are intelligent, realistic, and emotionally charged.

Without giving away the plot, I'll say this much: this PRIME SUSPECT film is less about who did it than it is about HOW and WHY. This time, The Detective Superintendent and her team investigate a murder in the upper-class and they close in on an angry, evil woman who is desperate to keep her dirty secrets hidden. It's a suspenseful, thrilling story of evil, deceit, and familial dysfunction, well-written and convincingly acted. Don't miss it.

Amazon.com essential video

Helen Mirren's Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, the only female DCI on an old boy's club London homicide squad, is like a phantom lurking around the edges of the action while the men rush through their latest murder case, joshing and winking in the kind of male camaraderie the cop genre has celebrated for decades. When DCI Shefford dies of a sudden heart attack, Tennison demands to take over. Despite her superintendent's resistance ("Give her this case and she'll start expecting more."), she becomes the squad's first woman to head a murder investigation. Scrutinized at every moment by her superior officers, Tennison is faced with a case that spirals out from a single murder to a serial spree, a second-in-command who undermines her authority and her investigation at every turn, a team resistant to taking orders from a woman, and a private life unraveling due to her professional diligence. Lynda La Plant's script is a compelling thriller riddled with ambiguity that turns dead ends, blind alleys, and the mundane legwork of real-life cops into fascinating details. Mirren commands the role of Tennison with authority, intelligence, and a touch of overachieving desperation. Superb performances, excellent writing, and understated direction make this BBC miniseries one of the most involving mysteries in years. Look for future British stars Ralph Fiennes and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Excellent show.......2007-05-08

Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) is in charge of the investigation to uncover a serial killer who rapes, tortures, and brutally murders prostitutes in London. Tennison is put in charge after one of her fellow DCIs has a heart attack and dies. She inherits the murder case and soon comes across the connected second murder. If trying to solve not one but two rape-murder cases is not enough, Jane's work is complicated by the hostility of her staff. The members of the male-dominated police department feel humiliated and have problems following the orders of the female boss, no matter how intelligent, tough, organized, and fit for the position she is. Tennison's obsession with the cases and fighting for credibility and respect from her colleagues don't help to her relationship with the boyfriend Peter Rawlins (Tom Wilkinson), either. Helen Mirren is superb as DCI Tennison playing the character that is sympathetic, tough, vulnerable, bright, very clever, and sexy - all at the same time. Mirren was voted the sexiest 60+ star in the word few months ago. I think she's been always incredibly attractive and desirable - and always will be. She definitely lit the screen at 46, in her first season of "Prime Suspect" (1991). Creator of the show, Lynda La Plante wrote the story that ranks among the best police procedures and it is terrific - complex, dynamic, with unexpected turns, and interesting multidimensional characters. Ralph Fiennes played one of his first roles as a boyfriend of a murdered girl and he was memorable in a very emotional scene opposite Mirren. I look forward for more DVDs with the rest of the seasons coming from Netflix.

Wow! Puts the American police procedurals to shame!.......2007-04-15

I was amazed by the character development, plotting and overall quality of this program. Graphic and gritty, this episode really creates a sense of what working as a detective must be like. I also appreciate the genuine London setting rather than the usual Southern California film set. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the series soon.

Very Brittish!.......2007-04-10

This series is exactly what the English love about mystery and crime. It's a tad bit dull compared to what we are used to with cop shows and series like "The Shield". That being said, this series is well done and does capture you over time. Rather than individual crime stories, this series contains only one crime investigation. If you like drama and cop stories, this is a good one.

Great actress, great series!.......2007-02-12

I think Helen Mirren is one of the finest actresses alive today, love this series (all the seasons of it), and love seeing her over the years in this series.

Prime Suspect 1.......2007-01-10

This is brilliant gritty British TV at its best. Every one in the series is excellent, I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys great acting (Helen Mirren is fantastic) and strong story lines.

DVD:

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