Simply Perfect

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald is a criminal psychologist. He is rather anti-social and obnoxious but he has a gift for solving crimes. Thus he is employed as a consultant by the Manchester Police.Excellent crime-drama TV series. Gritty, with realistic plots and characters. The crime side is cleverly done, especially Fitz's deductions and other inputs into the investigations. Good character drama too, which provides an arc to the series.

It's now impossible to imagine anyone other than Robbie Coltrane as the rather eccentric psychologist Fitz. With his comedy background, Coltrane provided sporadic humorous moments throughout an otherwise bleak but compelling show. The supporting cast were great too, particularly Somerville and Eccleston. Jimmy McGovern's absence can be felt around the third series, (especially in Best Boys, though it's still a good piece of TV in its own right) but along with all previous series of the show, maintains the right pacing and excellent performances. I may have only discovered this show within the last number of years, but I have no regrets. It was bold, unique, even controversial at times, but all the better for it. Cracker rightly holds its place as a classic in television history. They don't make them like they used to.

Sometimes you come across something that "hangs" in your mind. Many years later you still remember story lines, characters or even the name of a movie or show. This is one of these things. Aired late at night years ago, I alway remembered the episodes I saw. Television making optima forma. Yaw-dropping story lines, real characters and the ultimate escape from this real world to another real world. More than a spectator, you are drawn into the story as an active participant. Although not all episodes are equally strong, even the weakest episode is better than anything on TV in recent years. Besides that, the overall level is the highest I saw in years. Think Sopranos but better. Coltrane gives the best performance of his life, he doesn't play Fitz, he IS Fitz. Supporting cast is elevated to the same level of expertise, you feel like you're looking at a cast who worked together for years and years. Never boring, always riveting. Now, after 13 years, I bought the DVD box. Although dated at some points (Fitz is very surprised his son has a cell phone) the same thrilling experience is still there.

I first happened upon this series years ago on A&E. I was transfixed instantly.The scripts are meticulous, the acting engrossing, the subplots just as incredible as the main story lines. You know almost up front who commits the crime and how the crime was committed, but getting to the end of each episode is still nail-biting. Coltrane portrays Fitz as both cynically burned-out on his job, and voyeuristically drawn to it (maybe partially to escape his own dysfunctional family hell).This is hands-down some of the best drama I've ever seen - on the big or the small screen - and Coltrane is wonderful to watch...it's hard to believe that this is even acting.Brilliant stuff. Highly recommended.Enjoy.