Customer Reviews

Vincent: TV Series

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are two trends in crime series right now: The fast-edit, over-anxious, grim style complete with blue light effects and bad literary quotations; and the quirky, character-driven show featuring a detective who may have to stand on his head to solve the crime. Vincent is neither of these. Refreshingly free of morose moments and filled with fascinating people whose experiences ring true, Vincent stands above the standard crime drama thanks to fine writing and terrific acting. Ray Winstone won a much-deserved International Emmy for his role in this series. And Brit drama doesn't get any better than Winstone. So, if you love crime drama (as I do) and your grownup brain cells demand coherence, depth, engaging dialogue, and engrossing stories, you want Vincent.

I've read countless reviews on this site, but this is the first release that actually warranted a personal review. I caught this show when it aired the first time on BBC America a few months ago and was totally hooked from the first episode. Compared to series from the US, this is extremely short, containing only four one-hour-plus episodes. I was kind of miffed when I first saw them only because it left me wanting so much more. I've seen lots of British shows, especially drama, and this is the genre at its ultimate peak. The acting is superb...from ALL participants, but especially Ray Winstone. It's very rare that an actor or actress impresses me so much that I seek out other work from them. This was the case for me after watching him act in this show. He IS Vincent and you don't doubt him for a second. As with most dramas in the past 10 years or so, the lead character isn't without personal faults which gives the show a very true dynamic. He makes mistakes not only in his personal life, but even in his detective work. That's DEFINITELY something that is amiss in most crime dramas and is therefore more believable. Each mystery keeps you guessing even if you swear you've picked the right criminal. If that isn't enough, that theme song I swear will be stuck in your head for days. It's so catchy. Also, the second season has already aired overseas, but not here. So, if you like what you see, know there's more coming soon.

If you loved and miss the Cracker series (which was also excellent....except White Ghost...(sigh) but forgive and forget), then you will really enjoy this thoroughly exciting crime drama.

Based on what I'd heard, plus my deep appreciation for the Brit crime genre, and finally for the presence of Mr. Winstone, I purchased this four-episode set, and just finished watching them all with my wife. My first reaction is sadness that there are no more episodes to watch! Each one is like a mini-movie which will thoroughly entrance, entertain and enthrall.

One of my all-time favorite movies is the '70's Coppola masterpiece, The Conversation; there were so many great things about it but some of the best were Gene Hackman's performance as the conflicted surveillance man Harry Caul, and the endlessly intricate glimpses we'd get into his shadowy world of cameras, microphones, recorders and technology. The scene at the Surveillance Product Fair is one of the best things I've ever seen in any film. The entire movie was just so smart and so complex, as were the characters. Vincent goes over similar territory, but of course, it's set in modern-day England.

Winstone the actor is a magnetic kind of guy; I would assume he's popular both with men and women. With ex-cop, private dick Vincent Gallagher, he's created a fascinatingly complicated portrait of the type he does best: a brooding, volatile, blunt force object with a tender heart, who's brutal and tactless on the one hand, yet surprisingly literate, sophisticated and sensitive on the other. In the midst of an agonizing marital breakup, he's liable to explode with outrage or break down in tears at any time. It's gotten so bad he's let it cloud his judgement, much to the chagrin of his capable staff, a diverse, richly interesting set who are all living and breathing human beings, and not cardboard cutouts.

Vincent is speaks full-on Cockney, and so Americans will have to listen carefully to catch the language. You'll be richly rewarded. The dialogue is wonderfully textured and nuanced, full of both laugh-out-loud humor and deliciously subtle irony.

I hear there is a season two; I can hardly wait.

I'm only just starting to watch the second episode of this series, and I'm already in love with it. Not just for Ray Winstone who usually shines in everything he does but for the entire cast. Winstone's title character is the star of course but this is an enjoyable team driven private detective drama about very real characters with flaws you can relate to.

If you are a viewer who likes a detective series involving a team using high
tech devices, awesome acting, well written plots, top rate directing and
cutting, this is a series for you. Still I will warn that the
emphasis is not on the gadgetry but upon the acting and well
written plots.

This is not a typical British TV production. It is much faster paced and all characters, clients, criminals, and the supporting actors and their parts are not "Brit" TV stereo-typical.

Vincent has character development as well as top rate plots. At
times it's rather deep and reveals plot twists. The lead
character is most complex and totally well acted by the very
convincing Ray Winstone. Perfect!

Ray Winstone has quite a film history.
Check it out and then realize that an actor of his quality would
not play in a weak TV series. (Hint: Ray Winstone has a part
in "Indiana Jones: The Crystal Skull)

Sometimes the accent does get in the way of understanding and there are not subtitles, but don't let that push you away from this series.

Brew your coffee or tea; breathe and enjoy Vincent!

(This post is similar to one I wrote on another site. I wish to support this series and promote it as an a-typical British detective series.)

The problem with this series is that without subtittles, we miss quite a lot of what they are saying. And he doesn't help the way he speaks.Otherwise an english private detective series, not badly done.(And of course with the detectives fighting their own personal problems.)

Another British who-dunit along the lines of Frost or Cracker, but with a much slower pace, less grit/tension, and more in-depth look into the main characters. Good show, but might be too slow going for younger Brit cop fans. Some interesting turns in the story went over nicely. Good story line and believable reactions / course of events. Nicely done. The pace would have to improve for me to buy another season of Vincent. I hope they do speed up the pace, because it would make Vincent an excellent series.

If you enjoyed Robbie Coltrane's Cracker character and TV series, it's likely you'll love Winstone's Vincent, a deeply-flawed, instinct-driven private eye who can't help getting a bit too involved in the cases he takes on. Too bad it doesn't come with English subtitles and a commentary, as we Americans will have a few problems with the fast-talking earthy British pronunciation, dialect and slang. But regardless, it's a fun ride that will leave you wanting season two's release (and wishing the series had lasted much longer)!

I found " Vincent " to be a little " darker " than the English Mysteries to which I have become accustomed. My first inclination was that it was leaning toward becoming "Americanized ", what with tedious car following, tapping, some murder scenes, etc. Maybe, at age 78, I am beginning to show my age?

THE PLOT WAS ALRIGHT AND THE ACTOR WAS SO SO HE USUALLY PLAYS A PUNK GANGSTER IN THIS FILM HE IS THE MAIN CHARACTER YOU WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE IS SAYING BECAUSE LIKE A LOT OF ENGLISH ACTORS THEY SWOLLOW THIER WORDS.