Customer Reviews

P.D. James - A Certain Justice [VHS]

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This adaptation is very close to the original book and provides an insight into the 'Old Bailey' and the justice system. The series was filmed on location in the actual courts, and around the 'Lawyer's' haunts of inner London. The normally staid, conservative corridors of the members of the bar are thrust into a world of fear and horror, death and revenge, when one of their own is murdered in their chambers. The repercussions reververate further afield when the victim's daughter is also put into danger. It becomes a race against time to save her. Again, Roy Marsden portrays Alam Dalgliesh with his renowned flair. He is an accomplished actor who can portray an inner thought of Dalgliesh through a simple twitch of an eyebrow! The cast is excellent,and like Marsden, come from theatrical backgrounds, giving superb, clear diction, acting excellence and verisimilitude to the whole story. Only the English can make such a great mystery show seem so authentic. The evil murderer, Gary Ashe, and the bitchy, aloof Venetia Aldridge QC, the victim, are chillingly portrayed. Like the book, this adaptation elegantly shows the philosophical themes of the older P D James, as the story ends with a brilliant twist, that leaves the viewer wondering if justice has been served at all - or at best, only 'A Certain Justice.'

P. D. James is never afraid to tackle the dark side of human nature. In A Certain Justice, that is made apparant. It begins with the trial of Gary Ashe, an obvious psychopath who is accused of brutally killing his aunt. Venetia Aldridge, as usual, proves her expertise as a defense attourney by getting the young man off. She regrets it when she finds out that, only a week after the trial, he and her 18 year old daughter are "in love". That sends her into a slight state of hysterics. She turns to her married lover for help to find that he is dumping her. Now, throughout her lifetime, she had gathered many enemies, including her fellow lawyers. With all these terrible events in her life, she takes her anger and despair out on everyone more than ever. So it is no big surprise when she is found dead. Inspector Dagleish enters the story here. There are many likely suspects, but Dagleish thinks that this was a murder that came from the depths of someone's sorrow, not just ambition. The story also focuses on Ashe and Octavia Aldridge. Once again, an impeccably acted, very heart wrenching story is told with Inspector Dagleish. It made me read the book, and I was happy to see that it followed it very closely.

Detective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh (so ably played by Roy Marsden) is confronted with a puzzling murder compounded by an over abundance of suspects in this superbly crafted television adaptation of P.D. James murder mystery "A Certain Justice". Set in the Old Bailey legal community deep in the heart of London, the victim is a successful but highly unpopular female barrister who is struck down in her office. She has made a lot of enemies in her career as a ruthlessly skilled defense attorney, and this along with the enmity and envy of her associates, make for a cast of memorable characters who have a motive for murder. The plot twists and turns are everything a fan of the "whodunnit" style of British mysteries could want. The ending is particularly impressive -- and unpredictable but logically consistent. As is usual with these British productions, the casting is perfect, the settings and sets are impeccably showcased, the dialogue and direction are flawless, and the whole storytelling experience is first rate. The DVD format allows for scene selection, closed captions, and even access to the "Mystery!" web site. With an approximate running time of three hours, "A Certain Justice" can be candidly and wholeheartedly recommended for inclusion into any personal or community library DVD collection.

Even though I only saw the First and Third parts of "A Certain Justice" it compelled me to watch with eager glance and pounding heart; I was completely spellbound by Danglishs detective ability to solve such a compelling MYSTERY! on PBS MYSTERY!

This is a great movie. As usual P. D. James' characters (all of them) are well crafted. The actors are well cast (as usual in almost anything from England). The story grabs you and holds you until the end. The people who make decisions for American TV should be required to do at least 10 years with the BBC learning the craft they haven't a clue about.

This 1998 Anglia TV adaptation of P. D. James' "A Certain Justice" is not as sumptuous in scenery and production values as the more recent BBC ones are, but it is nonetheless an excellent film. This features actor Roy Marsden who is best known as Lady James' stock character, Commander Adam Dalgliesh of New Scotland Yard. Mr. Marsden portrayed Dalgliesh for fifteen years and "A Certain Justice" was the last James adaptation for him. I have watched him all throughout the `80s and `90s and have grown very fond of his interpretation of my favorite fictional detective.

This particular mystery is set in the English legal community where adversarial matches are not limited to the courts. Combative Venetia Aldridge, Queen's Counsel, is an ambitious and intelligent lawyer. She is found murdered in chambers shortly after successfully defending Gary Ashe who's been tried for the stabbing murder of his aunt. As in most James whodunits, there is no paucity of suspects, from Venetia's colleagues who have axes to grind to those who'd rather see her dead than for her to put another murderer back in the streets. Venetia's dead body is discovered wearing a judge's horsehair wig that's been doused in blood, the desecration of the body an act of mockery. Cmdr. Dalgliesh is called upon to investigate the macabre murder and as the investigation deepens, more killings occur.

This is Lady James' 10th Dalgliesh novel and there were signs in the book that indicated she was tiring of her sleuth. For example, in the book, Dalgliesh does not make an appearance until about a third of the way and there seemed to be a remoteness to his participation. In the adaptation, however, there is no such indication. This is, in every sense of it, a Dalgliesh film, and a superbly-acted one at that. It preserves the precise plotting and sardonic style of characterization in the novel, a faithfulness to the source that I appreciate and admire. The mystery itself is sterling James. Just when you think you've solved it, you're proved wrong, finding yourself reassessing the facts.

The resolution, as jaw-dropping as it is, is partially open-ended. Even if its logic is unassailable, the viewer may not find complete satisfaction. I rather prefer it as is and believe it to be more realistic. Everyday, millions of people seek justice in courts, but the courts are a fallible system. Justice, we sometimes find, has very little to do with fairness. Both the book and the film are titled "A Certain Justice" and I'm afraid that's all we will get--not an absolute justice, but just a certain justice.

[As I'm wont to do, I've included in the Comment section a list of characters and brief notes about each, hopefully, to help. For those who'd prefer to do without, kindly just skip it. Also, not meaning to insult anyone's intelligence, there's a phrase that's spoken several times in the film that some American viewers may not be familiar with--"taking silk." It refers to being conferred the status of Queen's (or King's) Counsel, when a barrister wears a silk robe amongst other privileges. Additionally, cases are referred to as Regina vs ______, using the Latin word for queen.]

Queen's Counsel Venetia Aldridge is perhaps the most memorable of P. D. James's murder victims in her long line of Inspector Dalgliesh mysteries. Although like most of James's primary murder victims she has an uncanny ability to make enemies who wish to see her dead, Aldridge is nonetheless a woman of high principles (according to her own terms) and superior intelligence; her greatest mistake is to tell other people (including her long-suffering, unwise daughter Octavia) exactly what she thinks of them. In the days before her murder, Aldridge manages to particularly anger just about everyone in her office and at home, and also to get a despicable (and almost certainly guilty) client acquitted of charges of murder. When her defiled corpse is discovered in her chambers, Adam Dalgliesh must sort through the long list of suspects who all wanted to do Venetia in... but who all seem to have some manner of alibi.

The best thing about this adaptation is its singular setting in the cramped world of defense attorneys in their chambers in the Temple section of London; several scenes are actually set in and near the mysterious and gloomy Temple Church, one of the most haunting medieval sites in all of London. As usual, Roy Marsden doesn't bring much to the party as Inspector Dalgliesh, but Penny Downie gives a fine portrayal of the superior and ruthless Venetia, who is driven to distraction just before her death as her world crumbles around her, and Ricci Harnett is memorably evil as the client she gets off of murder charges. There's a long sequence near the end in the East Anglian fens that is scary but that goes on for too long, and there are some bizarre moments of would-be comedy in Venetia's law office with her colleagues that come off like a bad sitcom. The uneven tone doesn't work to the miniseries' favor.

P. D James has the perfect detective in Asam Daliesh. He always is cool and has a wonderful dignity at all times. Roy Marsden is is at his best in this series. I love English mysteries and this is one of my favorites

A CERTAIN JUSTICE WAS ROY MARSDEN LAST TIME AS ADAM DAGLEISH,SORRY TO SAY IT WAS NOT HIS BEST ONE,THE STORY WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE.THE STORY WAS ABOUT A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS OWN TRIAL FOR KILLING HIS AUNT,HIS LAWYER WAS A FAMOUS FEMALE ADVOCATE WHO IS SO GOOD SHE GETS HIM OFF THAN IT TAKES OFF FROM THERE,SHE HAS A DAUGHTER WHO GETS INVOLVED WITH THE YOUNG MAN,DON"T WANT TO GIVE WAY REST OF STORY.ADAM DAGLEISH IS NOT IN IT MUCH IT SEEMS TO ME THE JUSTICE IS LACKING,BUT JUDGE FOR YOURSELF.

P. D. James is one of the best fiction novelists in history. This is an excellent DVD version of "A Certain Justice."