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Criminal Justice [DVD]

Ben Whishaw , Pete Postlethwaite    Suitable for 15 years and over   DVD
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
Price: £14.59 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

Criminal Justice [DVD] + Criminal Justice - Series Two [DVD]
Price For Both: £21.02

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Product details

  • Actors: Ben Whishaw, Pete Postlethwaite, Con O'Neill, Bill Paterson, Tim Plester
  • Format: PAL
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Acorn Media
  • DVD Release Date: 6 Oct 2008
  • Run Time: 300 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B0018JKX2W
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 7,788 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)

Reviews

Product Description

The worst thing Ben has ever done is, tonight, he takes his Dad's black cab out without his permission. But that's not why Ben ends the evening in a police cell. What looked to be a spontaneous evening of fun with a sexy stranger, Melanie, has culminated in a dead girl and Ben covered in her blood, holding the murder weapon. All the evidence points to Ben. There are no other leads. But he didn t do it. He can t remember all the events of the night, but he s sure he didn t. Ben is about to see what the criminal justice system does to someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Product Description

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Filmographies, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Ben Coulter is an average man in his early twenties. One evening Ben takes his father's black cab without permission and ends up in a police cell. His crime however is not theft. What appears to be an evening of spontaneous fun with a sexy stranger culminates in a dead girl with Ben covered in her blood and holding the murder weapon. Despite the wealth of evidence against him and significant gaps in his memory, Ben is sure he did not kill the girl. He is about to discover what the criminal justice system does to someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, Emmy Awards, ...Criminal Justice - Series One - 2-DVD Set

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Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 55 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb drama. 3 Aug 2008
By Steve TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The three ingredients for great drama: script, acting, and direction.

This has them all. Shown on five successive nights on BBC1, some people may have missed out on what may turn out to be the drama of the year; here's your chance to catch up.

It's not at all pleasant viewing. It's in the best tradition of true 'reality' TV (not the crap that passes for that normally these days), gripping from beginning to end. It was written by a barrister obviously well acquainted with our justice system, and doesn't fall into stereotypical traps; e.g. the police and prison officers are shown to be human like the rest of us; there are the good and the bad.

Although it is unfair to pick out one particular aspect of this production above all the rest, I will never forget Ben Whishaw's performance as the accused. He is like a helpless child stuck in a nightmare.

BBC drama at its best.

Highly recommended.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely spell-binding!!!! 13 Aug 2008
Format:DVD
I've never been into BBC dramas as a rule, but this one had me counting the minutes til 9pm and glued to the TV every night it was on.

Ben Whishaw's talent just shines in his performance as Ben Coulter, a young lad who's night with a beautiful stranger ends in murder. It was almost 'hide behind the sofa' stuff in some parts as the plot twisted and turned I could barely watch, but just couldn't help myself. The horrors this poor boy endured whilst imprisoned for a murder he may or may not have committed were almost unspeakable and each episode ended with me sat on the edge of my seat with my jaw on the floor. Every episode that is except the final one which I have to confess I found a little disappointing, but you'd have to judge it for yourself.

This is the best drama I have ever seen, the whole story is a head-rush from start to finish. I am now counting the days until I receive my copy on DVD!
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful
By Rowena Hoseason TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Criminal Justice is a very clever TV thriller which features some stand-out performances, an intriguing script, smart plotting and taut direction. It runs for five episodes of an hour each (originally shown on BBC TV on five consecutive nights), and follows the ghastly journey of young Ben Coulter who may (or may not) have killed a young woman during a wild one-night stand.
At first everything looks pretty cut and dried; so far, so clichéd, you might think. Ben wakes up after knocking back some serious booze and other recreational chemistry to discover he's sharing a semi in suburbia with a dead body - and it looks as if he's the murderer. Young Ben panics, flees, makes a hash of trying to cover his tracks, and is arrested and charged in no time flat. He's given a legal aid lawyer, Stone, who just seems to be cynically in the game for his fee and doesn't care about the innocence of his client. Then - to Ben's utter horror - he is denied bail and carted off to prison.

The following events details Ben's interaction with the jail hierarchy (not at all pleasant), the Police investigation, his relationship with his parents, the past of the murdered girl, his defence lawyers and their tactics - and it all meshes together to produce one of the best short-run dramas we've seen in years. There's nothing particularly original about any of the themes: the awfulness of prison life was revealed way-back-when in Scum, while much of the courtroom drama gallops along like a John Grisham novel (and plenty of the lawyers' behaviours seems pretty caricature. It makes for good TV though, even if it's not very likely!).
All through the drama, poor Ben doesn't seem to get a word in edgeways. He's dragged along by the formulaic progression of the criminal justice system, and struggles to get his side of the story across. When he finally can address the jury... you have to wonder if he wouldn't have been better keeping quiet!

Where Criminal Justice is most clever is in the way it subverts the audience's expectations and develops the main characters throughout the series. At first Ben looks to be utterly innocent: a bit dim, but surely not a murderer. Then we learn more... and we're not sure. Similarly, Pete Postlethwaite puts in a brilliant performance as his cellmate, who is rather more than he seems. Bill Paterson is the investigating detective who seems like a genuinely nice guy to start with - but is he only looking at the evidence he wants to see? And is he manipulating the other evidence to keep it from the jury? Best of all is Stone, Ben's solicitor, who may just be the most honest character of them all.
For those viewers who enjoy watching characters develop, Criminal Justice is especially interesting. All of the major players' lives are changed the murder and subsequent events; all the people who come into contact with Ben are affected to a degree. For some, the consequences are bitter but at least one of the major players finds some kind of redemption as the action draws to a close. (And if you aren't interested in these sub-plots, then you don't need to worry about them! The main theme is nore than enough to keep you on th edge of your seat).

Criminal Justice is a gripping, plot-twisting thriller which kept us hooked to the end. It also makes many very serious comments about the UK's legal system - but you can take or leave the moral message and just be carried away by the drama if you're that way inclined. Well worth watching again if you did see it on TV, because several subtle points stand up and slap you in the face on second viewing.
9/10.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Watchable but very drawn out
Enjoyed this series but think that it could be condensed into 3 episodes, rather than 5. A bit drawn out, but still enjoyable. Read more
Published 23 days ago by S. Christie
3.0 out of 5 stars Excruciating
A plausible situation and good acting in this story of a botched police investigation and trial leading to a miscarriage of justice. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Monique P.
3.0 out of 5 stars Too much blubbering but an important subject
Procedural shortcomings and other detrimental aspects for the accused in the culture of the UK's criminal justice system are very important to explore. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Avid reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding in every way
A fantastic piece of work shown in the BBC originally. Gory in parts, but don't hesitate to buy this and revel in the incredible acting and plot. 5*!
Published 15 months ago by Lindsay Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars haunting
This almost a masterpiece. The first four episodes are haunting, it just goes off slightly, when tying up the loose ends in episode five. Still it is a great piece of TV. Read more
Published 24 months ago by D. Stephen Wilkinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Criminal Justice series 1 and 2 - very, very good!
I just finished watching Criminal Justice series 2, which I orderd immediately after watching series 1 over a three evening period. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2010 by V. Janssen
4.0 out of 5 stars Criminal Justice
Watched it on t.v. and enjoyed it so decided to purchase it and hopefully enjoy it again and I certainly have.
Published on 16 July 2010 by gwenny
3.0 out of 5 stars dvd
Not a very good dvd to have along with Law and Order, but can give it away as a pressie to someone...
Published on 2 Jun 2010 by N. J. Bassett
5.0 out of 5 stars What a powerful serie
An all time british classic, with brilliant actors. One of the best series ive seen in years. Highly recomended
Published on 29 May 2010 by Schmidt Copenhagen
5.0 out of 5 stars Stange kind of justice
Found myslef as gripped as when I watched it on TV, superb acting and scary storyline
Published on 10 May 2010 by cynthsen
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Subtitles, can anyone one help me ? 5 12 Oct 2010
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