Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2004)

Waste of time

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Prime Suspect 6 is right up there with the rest of the series. Tennison doesn't even bother with what people think of her anymore and doesn't even care about whether they respect her or not. She blasts them for even suggesting retirement. After that, it only gets better....for those of us interested in the character development of Tennison, all of the stories are good. We care more about how she evolves as a human woman. Boy, has she evolved! She's as hard as nails on the surface and as crumpled up as ever on the inside. I kept waiting for her to weep for all the stuff she's holding in. But, true to form, she holds on and even her letting go is so controlled that you want to scream for her.Nobody can do this stuff like Helen Mirren. She deserves an Oscar and I hope America finds a way to honor her with one. AND SOON!!!

I have been following the investigations of Jane Tennison since my partner sent me a bad VHS recording of Prime Suspect 1 while I was serving with the USMC in the Persian Gulf. Amid my own warfare, my own self doubts and fears, I found inspiration in DCI Tennison's struggles. I have been in love ever since. Some tales are better than others, but all are good. My personal favorites: PS1, PS3, PS5 and now, topping the list, is Prime Suspect:6. Not since listening to the young actor respond to Tennison's questions in PS5 - "What do you want out of life?" ...Response: "Law and Order", have I teared up watching a TV show. PS6 hits home on many levels. From cinematography to storytelling to acting the whole thing is brilliant on all levels. Helen Mirren, one of the most underrated talents in the acting profession - seeing her silently curse in her car after her encounter with her immediate superior evoked a moment all of us in the working world can relate to. At the risk of sounding like I'm gushing, I can't recommend enough this latest installment. It is was television drama can and should be.

The Prime Suspect plays and mini-series have provided benchmarks for TV drama for a decade. The latest, Prime Suspect 6, raises the bar again. This two-part series is far more than a crime drama. Helen Mirren gives a complete performance, clever, vulnerable, confused, determined in turn. It is a magnificent sustained piece of top-quality acting.The supporting actors are equally strong, from Frank Finlay as Mirren's elderly father to the Bosnian victims and villains, whose tortured history DS Tennison (Mirren) unearths. They are helped by the quality of Peter Berry's script and Tom Hooper's direction. The story line is more complex even than previous Prime Suspects, involving Mirren in a terrifying visit to Bosnia in a search for the truth that neither the British nor the Bosnians want uncovered.In short, four hours of gripping, unmissable drama.

The four-hour miniseries is, when well executed, one of the most entertaining forms of modern drama. "Prime Suspect 6" is a vivid demonstration of how a well-crafted script put in the hands of a competent director and a dedicated cast and crew can provide cliff-hanging suspense and emotional excursions for viewers of a wide range of ages and backgrounds.Helen Mirren is possibly at her best in "6" as the ageing senior detective, constantly battling the establishment as she tries to manage a big caseload when a particularly brutal murder opens a Pandora's box of leads, lies and loose ends.My prize, however, goes to Peter Berry for his writing. The story lets us slowly explore the minds, motivations and especially the passions of all the main characters and makes good use of historical events and present-day tensions to construct a drama of the highest quality. His story has strong Hollywood elements, and for this style of drama, that's precisely what's needed.If you missed it this time, don't miss the repeat or definitely rent the DVD when it's out.