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Special Features
- 50-minute behind-the-scenes feature
- Photo gallery
- Cast filmographies
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) has dedicated her life to pursuing criminals and, as she nears retirement, the stresses of the job and of proving herself in the man's world of law enforcement have taken their toll: she has virtually no life of her own as well as a serious alcohol problem. Ever dedicated to her job, Tennison is determined to solve one final case, that of a 14-year old girl Sallie Sturdy (Maxine Barton) who's gone missing, before she retires. Even as Detective Superintendent Tennison's father takes seriously ill and alcohol-induced blackouts hinder her investigative capabilities, Tennison remains resolute in her determination to solve the case. As the investigation progresses, Tennison develops an unusually close relationship with the missing girl's young friend Penny Phillips (Laura Greenwood), seeing much of her younger self in the headstrong girl, and struggles to maintain her focus and use her crime-solving instincts and sharp eye for detail to bring Sallie's killer to justice. In the end, Tennison must also find a way to come to terms with her own alcoholism and impending retirement.
Stills from Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act (click for larger image)
Prime Suspect was a groundbreaking British television series because of its portrayal of a powerful woman who dared to aspire to a leadership role in the man's world of police detective work. In the 15 years the series ran (1991-2006), every season tackled politically volatile subject matter, from sexism to racism and homophobia, while maintaining an intense attention to detail and a steadfast commitment to the accurate portrayal of law enforcement's investigative process. It was, one could argue, the precursor to modern crime series like CSI and Law and Order. Fittingly, these final episodes in the Prime Suspect series deal head-on with the controversy of inappropriate relationships between minors and adults. Oscar-winner Helen Mirren gives an incredibly strong performance and is backed by the considerable talents of Laura Greenwood, Stephen Tompkinson (as Sean Phillips), and the rest of the cast. Bonus features include a 45-minute behind the scenes featurette about the entire series, photo gallery, and cast filmographies. --Tami Horiuchi
Beyond Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act
 Essentials by Actress: Helen Mirren |  British Mystery Theater |  The Prime Suspect series |
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Product Description
"Perhaps the greatest role and performance of a female police detective, ever"--San Francisco Chronicle
In yet another subtle, powerful performance, Oscar® winner Helen Mirren truly inhabits the role of Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison. The Final Act finds her searching for Sallie Sturdy, a 14-year-old girl presumed murdered. Facing the hospitalization of her father, descending deeper into alcoholism, and resisting pressure to retire quietly, Tennison vows to bring Sallie's killer to justice before ending her career. Along the way she forges a surprising friendship with Penny Philips (Laura Greenwood), the missing girl's best friend. In the teenager's longing and fierce independence, the aging cop sees something of her younger self.
Jane Tennison emerges as a deeply flawed but ultimately sympathetic human being--one who accepts responsibility for her choices, knowing full well the price she and others have paid for each. The Final Act serves as the perfectly fitting conclusion to what some critics have called the best crime series ever televised.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE 50-minute behind-the-scenes feature, photo gallery, and cast filmographies.
Some coarse language and graphic content
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 56 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Final Installment Of "Prime Suspect" Is A Great Tribute To One Of TV's Best Characters And The Incomparable Helen Mirren
July 13, 2007
Format:DVD
"Masterpiece Theater" has long been a benchmark in bringing quality British TV to American viewers. With a prestigious history, some legendary programs--including "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "I, Claudius"--have found acclaim, awards, and international audiences. Of late, "Masterpiece Theater" has been showcasing some ambitious literary adaptations with mixed results. Last season's high point, and a must for any lover of film, was the flawless adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Bleak House." A triumph in every regard, and featuring Emmy nominated turns by Charles Dance and Gillian Anderson, this program should be essential viewing for those that value literate, classy and wildly entertaining TV. This season's offerings have included "To The Ends Of The Earth" (an adaptation of William Golding's seafaring trilogy--'Rites Of Passage,' 'Close Quarters' and 'Fire Down Below'), a robust new version of Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre," a reimagining of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," and the swan song of Helen Mirren's Jane Tennison in "Prime Suspect 7-The Final Act."
Unlike most entries in the "Masterpiece Theater" library this year, "Prime Suspect 7" is not a literary adaptation of a classic work. Instead, it is the final installment of the wonderful "Prime Suspect" series which began 15 years ago. In 1992, audiences were introduced to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison who was the only woman in a London homicide squad. Passed over for promotion due to her gender, her big break came when another DCI suffered a heart attack. Stepping up as the leader of the squad, she encountered disdain and ridicule from the men of the unit--but through the years has garnered a grudging respect due to her investigative skills. Now, in "Prime Suspect 7-The Final Act," Tennison faces her final case and her impending retirement after a cumulative 30 years working for the police.
When a high school girl goes missing, police are quick to question possible suspects--from her parents, to a coach she may have been involved with, to a secret boyfriend. Learning more about the girl, it seems as if she was not the innocent most people believed her to be. Tennison befriends another young girl, a potential witness in the case who happens to be the victim's best friend. As Tennison faces retirement, she is still battling many demons--an estrangement from her family, a father in the hospital, and her alcoholism. Her friendship with the girl is a way for her to grasp the remaining part of her humanity, and to get some kind of understanding for the hard choices that she has made to further her career. Not to be dismissive of the actual police procedural--but in all honesty, it's not that hard to figure out. But you know what? Doesn't matter in the slightest.
This program, more than any other in the "Prime Suspect" series, is a love letter to Helen Mirren. Tennison is easily one of TV's most difficult female characters--she is a mass of flaws and an absolute mess in most regards. Mirren has evolved with this character, so it's fitting that the final installment features Tennison at her most vulnerable. In a year where Mirren has won every award conceivable for both "Elizabeth I" on TV and "The Queen" at the movies--this, to me, (although not a royal) is her crowning achievement! It's a fitting tribute to a complex character and an opportunity for Mirren to grace us with another tour de force performance (she has previously won Emmy accolades for prior "Prime Suspect" installments). Recommended highly (but 4 stars due to the rather routine resolution of the film's central mystery), I will miss not having Jane Tennison to look forward to any more. A great series, a great good-bye. Buy them all right now! KGHarris, 02/07.
Unlike most entries in the "Masterpiece Theater" library this year, "Prime Suspect 7" is not a literary adaptation of a classic work. Instead, it is the final installment of the wonderful "Prime Suspect" series which began 15 years ago. In 1992, audiences were introduced to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison who was the only woman in a London homicide squad. Passed over for promotion due to her gender, her big break came when another DCI suffered a heart attack. Stepping up as the leader of the squad, she encountered disdain and ridicule from the men of the unit--but through the years has garnered a grudging respect due to her investigative skills. Now, in "Prime Suspect 7-The Final Act," Tennison faces her final case and her impending retirement after a cumulative 30 years working for the police.
When a high school girl goes missing, police are quick to question possible suspects--from her parents, to a coach she may have been involved with, to a secret boyfriend. Learning more about the girl, it seems as if she was not the innocent most people believed her to be. Tennison befriends another young girl, a potential witness in the case who happens to be the victim's best friend. As Tennison faces retirement, she is still battling many demons--an estrangement from her family, a father in the hospital, and her alcoholism. Her friendship with the girl is a way for her to grasp the remaining part of her humanity, and to get some kind of understanding for the hard choices that she has made to further her career. Not to be dismissive of the actual police procedural--but in all honesty, it's not that hard to figure out. But you know what? Doesn't matter in the slightest.
This program, more than any other in the "Prime Suspect" series, is a love letter to Helen Mirren. Tennison is easily one of TV's most difficult female characters--she is a mass of flaws and an absolute mess in most regards. Mirren has evolved with this character, so it's fitting that the final installment features Tennison at her most vulnerable. In a year where Mirren has won every award conceivable for both "Elizabeth I" on TV and "The Queen" at the movies--this, to me, (although not a royal) is her crowning achievement! It's a fitting tribute to a complex character and an opportunity for Mirren to grace us with another tour de force performance (she has previously won Emmy accolades for prior "Prime Suspect" installments). Recommended highly (but 4 stars due to the rather routine resolution of the film's central mystery), I will miss not having Jane Tennison to look forward to any more. A great series, a great good-bye. Buy them all right now! KGHarris, 02/07.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act" finds Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) a 35-year veteran of the police force, weeks away from retirement, and struggling to keep her head above water as she solves her last case. The hysterical parents of 14-year-old Sallie Sturdy keep the pressure on to find their daughter's killer, as Tennison's alcoholism threatens to consume her personal and professional being. Tennison finds both an outlet for maternal instincts and a reminder of her own youth in Sallie's friend Penny Phillips (Laura Greenwood), who may know more than she is telling abut the crime. Penny's father and school headmaster (Stephen Tompkinson) and the girls' thuggish friend Curtis Flynn (Heshima Thompson) both have suspect connections to Sallie and suspect alibis. With no one, including Tennison, in full possession of his or her senses, this case careens toward its conclusion.
Without Helen Mirren's reticence and force of personality, this final episode of "Prime Suspect" would be pure melodrama. Many of the characters are so overwrought that I would expect to find them heavily medicated or institutionalized. "Prime Suspect" always included melodrama, but these performances are so hysterical that they undermine the show's gritty realism. I fault director Philip Martin for that. Helen Mirren's sharpness and deliberation prevent Jane Tennison from becoming a similar caricature. She grabs the audience's sympathies, even as Tennison's behavior is sometimes alienating. As a window on the weight that decades of grim work have placed on Jane Tennison's shoulders, "The Final Act" succeeds admirably. In other respects, this episode is flawed. And I couldn't help wondering if the writers' intention was to advocate the omnipresence of CCTV cameras in the UK by making the video footage out to be essential to crime-solving.
The DVDs (Acorn Media 2007): This is a 2-disc set with the first half of the film on Disc 1 and the conclusion on Disc 2 -an absurd waste of space in my view. Unlike some previous "Prime Suspect" DVDs, the film is in its proper 1.66:1 format, not full screen. Bonus features are on Disc 2, where you will find a "Photo Gallery" slide show of on-set photos and production stills, "Cast Filmographies" of 7 cast members, and a "Prime Suspect: Behind the Scenes" documentary (45 min). The documentary interviews producers and cast members from various "Prime Suspect" series, looks at the series' 15-year history, its inception, its themes, and inspirations. Also interviewed is Jackie Malton, the DCI who advised the first episode and on whom some of Jane Tennison's experiences were based.
Without Helen Mirren's reticence and force of personality, this final episode of "Prime Suspect" would be pure melodrama. Many of the characters are so overwrought that I would expect to find them heavily medicated or institutionalized. "Prime Suspect" always included melodrama, but these performances are so hysterical that they undermine the show's gritty realism. I fault director Philip Martin for that. Helen Mirren's sharpness and deliberation prevent Jane Tennison from becoming a similar caricature. She grabs the audience's sympathies, even as Tennison's behavior is sometimes alienating. As a window on the weight that decades of grim work have placed on Jane Tennison's shoulders, "The Final Act" succeeds admirably. In other respects, this episode is flawed. And I couldn't help wondering if the writers' intention was to advocate the omnipresence of CCTV cameras in the UK by making the video footage out to be essential to crime-solving.
The DVDs (Acorn Media 2007): This is a 2-disc set with the first half of the film on Disc 1 and the conclusion on Disc 2 -an absurd waste of space in my view. Unlike some previous "Prime Suspect" DVDs, the film is in its proper 1.66:1 format, not full screen. Bonus features are on Disc 2, where you will find a "Photo Gallery" slide show of on-set photos and production stills, "Cast Filmographies" of 7 cast members, and a "Prime Suspect: Behind the Scenes" documentary (45 min). The documentary interviews producers and cast members from various "Prime Suspect" series, looks at the series' 15-year history, its inception, its themes, and inspirations. Also interviewed is Jackie Malton, the DCI who advised the first episode and on whom some of Jane Tennison's experiences were based.
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By Julian G.
Format:DVD
The best Prime Suspect was definitely saved for last. In Prime Suspect 6, Jane Tennison rose to an entirely new level as she fought insubordination and calls to retire, while solving a complex international murder. In Prime Suspect 7, Jane Tennison faces new challenges, but most of these challenges come from within, as she struggles with alcoholism and the death of her father, all while trying to solve her most challenging case yet. The drama and suspense of Prime Suspect 7 is as great as we have seen in the past, but what makes this Prime Suspect the best yet is the extraordinary depth of Jane Tennison. Helen Mirren delivers yet another brilliant and masterful performance in the role that has defined her career.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helen at her Best
This is another great movie in this series. If you loved the first one; you'll love the last one. A must have.
Published 24 days ago by Keith H Kelley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Helen Mirren's character is the most likeable/unlikeable person I've ever seen. It's as excellently done as all the previous items.
Published 1 month ago by JC
5.0 out of 5 stars
I guess I better watch the earlier stories in this series!
Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) is nearing retirement, and she has one more case to crack before she calls it a career. Read more
Published 3 months ago by R Schmidt
5.0 out of 5 stars
As good as it gets...
As someone who dislikes contemporary television, it takes a lot to turn my head around. HBO has been, perhaps, the most successful at doing so, and THE WIRE remained the most... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Birdman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Show
I loved this series, and the final show does not dissappoint. It is gripping, especially how it deals with Helen Mirren's character's grappling with age and alcoholism.
Published 5 months ago by Peg Schwartz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prime Suspect 7, One of the best
Prime Suspect 7 is one of my favorites. I actually love the series in its entirety, but the ending of 7 shocked me the most. I wasn't expecting it, but it was a great twist. Read more
Published 9 months ago by KellyMarie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helen Mirren "WOW"
Well I have ordered the whole set of these "Prime Suspect" and I am so glad that I did. They are great, and Helen Mirren is one fine actress.... Read more
Published 13 months ago by khat
5.0 out of 5 stars
What more could you ask? Why not great American Television?
Everyone who's spoken so highly has covered the substance and style of Prime Suspect which in toto is probably a defining series of what television drama can be and should be. Read more
Published 20 months ago by In the Middle of the Road
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jane Tennison Moves On.
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... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Magdalena
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvelous summation
Helen Mirren's work as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison has grown, deepend and stretched as she herself has matured and been able to bring new perspectives to the role. Read more
Published on March 15, 2011 by Eager Reader
