Rillington Place

First off - Not as good as the Richard Attenborough 10 Rillington place but! A very haunting and somewhat more perverse idea. This is still a standalone shocker, less schlock but more psychological depth. Love this and the original, should I be concerned?

I have wondered for many years why there had been no attempt to retell the grizzly story of the goings on at number 10 Rillington Place. The fabulous 1971 version featuring the marvellous Richard Attenborough will live on as a classic forever. So once again, well done BBC for retelling a story in such a thorough and compelling way.

The three hour format worked well, it allowed the story to develop naturally, at no point did it feel rushed, each character was given time to deliver.

Tim Roth was sensational in the role of Christie, softly spoken, calm, yet monstrous and conniving, I believed utterly in the character he portrayed. He certainly looked the part also. It feels unkind to say that Samantha Morton is a safe pair of hands, but that she is, an actress of immense talent, who always seems to deliver the goods, a super performance as Mrs Christie.

This drama made me curious about the case, and I've picked up a book for some further reading.

If I was brutally honest, I'd say Part 1 was a little too slow, and felt like it had been padded out, twenty minutes into the second part though it takes a very sinister turn, and transforms into something nasty, but enthralling.

Harsh, unnerving, but very impressive. 9/10

Tim Roth plays the notorious serial killer John "Reg" Christie with bone-chilling eeriness, a masterly performance to no small extent aided by the cinematography and lighting, which would have had Hitchcock nodding in approval, and which borders as closely on the exagerrated as it gets without overstepping the line (in my opinion). The set design provides the appropriately grim backdrop of the poorer areas of 1940s and 1950s London, and the soundtrack is certainly enough to make anybody lie awake wondering what might be lurking under the floorboards of the house you just moved into. The story is very well told, leaving enough for the viewer's imagination to add to the horror as the ghastly details creep into your mind. But there is a piece missing at the very end, as if the director suddenly realised that the allotted running time was quickly running out, and had to cut out a large chunk without forethought. That, unfortunately, takes away a few stars from what would otherwise have been a little masterpiece, but which is now left marred by an ending that seems oddly thrown together with too many loose ends dangling. Nevertheless, it's well worth a watch - you'll never look at your balding uncle the same way again.

If only to provide some contrast to the slightly negative reviews, I must say I thought this was a superb production.

Roth's whispering was as intentional as was the shifting accent of a character who was wanting to 'fit in' with any environment he found himself in.

A thoroughly unnerving performance by Roth, admirably supported by Morton's portrayal of a character seemingly unable to find her voice all contributed to a very unsettling, but rewarding viewing pleasure.

It too lead me to Wiki for a round up of the historical facts and travesties of justice.

Being a TV series Rillington Place can (and does) go into so much more detail. Unlike the film, this is also about the life of his poor wife Ethel and the ill-fated Timothy Evans. The squalid area of Notting Hill and the dimly lit streets, look like something out of the darkest Victorian times and the conditions are almost inhuman. The feel and vibe is very creepy and leaves a lot to the imagination, right up the the final third of the last episode (of three). Depressing but a gripping true story. Tim Roth is magnificent and Just like the original movie, this will burn deeply, disturbing your mind.