INJUSTICE

James Purefoy

INJUSTICE (5 part British mini-series/2011). Director: Colin McCarthy. 

I often find British mystery mini-series to be a little too deliberately-paced -- I generally prefer the "let's get on with it" pace of Law and Order -- to hold my attention for long, but happily that wasn't the case with Injustice. In this very interesting limited series lawyer William Travers (James Purefoy), who gave up criminal law after a kind of breakdown, agrees to represent an old friend, Philip Spaull (Robert Whitelock), who has been accused of murdering his mistress. Meanwhile Police Investigator Mark Wenborn (Charlie Creed-Miles), who has faced Travers in court as a witness, looks into the cold-blooded killing of a man that Travers once got off a murder charge. Wenborn, a rather nasty character who has a physically abusive relationship with his frightened wife, who remembers him as a kinder person years ago, begins to wonder if Travers had something to do with his old client's death even as Travers -- a regular Perry Mason -- insists he is taking Spaull's case only because he is convinced of his innocence.

Verdict: Although frankly a little far-fetched at times -- for instance, defense attorneys wouldn't make much of a living if they only took on innocent clients -- Injustice is very well-acted, keeps you in suspense, and has several interesting twists. This is streaming on Amazon Prime and is well-worth a look for mystery fans. ***.