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Amazon.co.uk Review
First screened in 1993, Jimmy McGovern's Cracker was at once a variation on a familiar theme and a daring new departure from the run-of-the-mill cop show. Robbie Coltrane's Fitz is an independent criminal psychologist called in by the police to help them crack intractable cases, usually involving grisly serial murders. But like its Granada TV stablemate Prime Suspect, Cracker also delves deep into the main characters' personal lives, revealing a chaos of emotional entanglements that become increasingly inseparable from their professional duties.
Robbie Coltrane's charismatic presence dominates: the contrast between Fitz's professionalism and his complete inability to diagnose his own psychological failings provides much of the show's dramatic impetus. His frequent interrogations of murder suspects are tour de force demonstrations of coolly analytical method shot through with biting humour. But his drunken, intemperate behaviour towards his wife and everyone else is a telling contrast of extremes, and one that creates dangerous resentment among his colleagues. Coltrane is supported by a strong cast that includes Barbara Flynn, Geraldine Somerville, Lorcan Cranitch (as the terrifyingly unstable DS Jimmy Beck), Christopher Eccleston, and a pre-Royle Family Ricky Tomlinson. McGovern's screenplays balance gritty, Manchester-based realism with splendidly mordant wit, making Cracker simply riveting viewing.
On the DVD: This complete Cracker 10-disc box set contains all three series that ran from 1993-95. The feature-length episodes are: "The Mad Woman in the Attic", "Say I Love You", "One Day a Lemming Will Fly" (Series 1); "Be a Somebody", "The Big Crunch", "Men Should Weep" (Series 2); "Brotherly Love", "Best Boys", "True Romance" (Series 3); "White Ghost" (1996 special). --Mark Walker
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TV Copland's Finest Hour,
This review is from: Cracker - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1993] (DVD)
"You're the one who needs the psychologist," a murder suspect tells Fitz (Robbie Coltrane) in the first ever episode of Cracker. As things transpire, it's a painfully accurate description. Fitz is a wreck, hopelessly hooked on cigarettes, booze and gambling, in denial over his ailing marriage while liaising with the Manchester police as a psychological profiler. He's a doomed figure, and as played by Coltrane he burns a hole in the small screen. It's an epic performance, built on a series of brave, no-holds-barred scripts from writer Jimmy McGovern. If Fitz is McGovern's most memorable creation he's also (to date) Coltrane's finest hour. You get the feeling Coltrane truly understands Fitz's dark vision of the world, a vision that allows him to unlock the minds of killers.The Cracker stories really work best if watched in sequence. Beginning with 'The Mad Woman In The Attic' through 'To Say I Love You' and 'One Day A Lemming Will Fly' you get a feeling of slow descent towards tragedy. McGovern doesn't pull any punches. It's shocking to see characters we've come to know and love being slowly torn apart by the job. If there's a turning point in the series - a point where we suddenly realize this is only going to grow darker and darker - it's somewhere between parts four and six, 'To Be A Somebody' (Robert Carlyle is on fire as a bereaved soccer supporter taking revenge on the police for Hillsborough) and 'Men Should Weep', an unflinching examination of rape. The treatment of sexual violence caused a minor storm at the time, and there are moments here and especially in 'Brotherly Love' which some viewers will find hard to watch. 'Brotherly Love' was McGovern's last word on the subject and truly overpowering. Later episodes, written by Paul Abbott, were less explosive, but it would've been hard to top what had gone before. The only downside to this DVD set is the 4:3 aspect ratio; but assuming that's how it was originally framed it's hard to nitpick. If you can live with that, you'll get TV drama at its absolute best, a landmark series that deserves every one of its accolades. With a fabulous supporting cast including: Geraldine Somerville (D.S. Jane Penhaligan), Lorcan Cranitch (D.S. Jimmy Beck), Christopher Eccleston (D.C.I. David Bilborough). Highly recommended.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Welcome addition to DVD,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cracker - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1993] (DVD)
It is not very often that a series is crying out to be put on DVD. The big three I would choose would be Coldfeet, Inspector Morse and Cracker. Now Cracker is out, my collection is complete. I recently purchased this boxset before boarding a long flight, the onboard movies did not even get a look in for the whole journey. This series is just as exciting as it was when it was first broadcast. Christopher Eccleston and Robbie Coltrane are perfect together on screen. When Eccleston left the series it was difficult to see if the series would be as good without him. No need to worry as Ricky Tomlinson was a perfect replacement. If I had to choose one single episode as a personal favorite it would have to be "To be a somebody" which featured Robert Carlyle. The only thing missing from this set is a commentary from the writer Jimmy McGovern. Despite this small blemish, it is an excellent buy!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best TV series!!!,
By windowlicker2000 (Germany) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cracker - The Complete Collection [DVD] [1993] (DVD)
"CRACKER" is an outstanding series with a brilliant script and some great performances. Technically, the DVD presentation is good, but the complete absence of any extra material and/or some subtitles is a bit of a drawback for this definitive presentation. I was also a bit sad, that in "To Say I Love You", one of the best films in the series, the Cocteau Twins-Song "Pandora" was missing (which was included when broadcast on TV), perhaps too expensive for Granada. But apart from that : Great to have the complete series in one set!!
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