What's on on the Big and Small screens!

For this I've selected a couple of big screen recent releases and two New to TV releases.  As you'd expect the phenomenally successful  Girl On The Train and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back have to be my cinema choices.  My TV choices were very much harder to select with the wealth of crime fiction offerings available in the comfort of our own homes.  In the end, I narrowed it down to the UK's The Fall and the USA's Secrets and Lies.

Jack Reacher :Never Go Back
This was a totally enjoyable action film.  Tom Cruise's  portrayal of Jack Reacher was believable, aided in part by Cruise's more mature appearance.  I think Cruise lent a welcome emotional aspect to Reacher's character, which, I find, the books omit.  Apart from the fantastic action scenes the highlight for me was author, Lee Child's, cameo role as a custom's official in the airport. 
The storyline was enjoyable- corruption in the upper echelons of the army with the risk of a miscarriage of justice are always winners in my book.  A good half term treat for the family.

Girl On The Train

The big screen adaptation of Paula Hawkins successful psychological thriller was, as expected different from the book.  So that said I watched the film ... and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Emily blunt can do no wrong in my book and did a great job of portraying unravelling alcoholic, Rachel.  The action was fast, the characters well rounded and believable- what was not to like?

 

 

The Fall

The final series of BBC2's The Fall left me with mixed feelings.  The first few episodes were slow moving and lacked the edginess of series one where Paul Spector's malevolence was understated but chilling.  However, the explosive final two episodes contrasted with the previous episodes desultory pace.  I'm not sure the story was 'wrapped up' to my satisfaction but having said that, once serial killing Spector was apprehended the options were limited.  Perhaps a second series was sheer indulgence to try to up viewing figures... not sure how successful that was. 

 



Secrets And Lies

When a business man's wife falls to her death her husband is the first person to fall under suspicion.  However, as series one of this dynamic American series told us, its all about the secrets and lies and they soon start to kick in at a fast and furious pace.  As usual, Juliette Lewis is fantastic as acerbic Detective Cornell.

Gripping and addictive- I won't miss an episode!