Great Film overall

Brilliant and touching

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I love British drama and police series are my favorite. This doesn't disappoint! Martin Shaw is fantastic as the slightly out of synch but always compassionate lead along with his side kick, Lee Inglebee as the incorrigible John Bachus. I only started watching this show from the beginning a few days ago but am now up to the 3rd season and will binge whenever I can to watch the entire series. It's filmed so beautifully and although I find the "hip" music of the 60s is, as was always the case back then, silly and out of touch, I simply turn down the sound when they get into car chases or whatever. Music of the 60's for some reason, was never used in movies and TV in the 60's, something I never understood then and now even less. I will continue to watch this to the end and will miss it when it's over. I am pretty housebound with an elderly father right now so finding something really excellent and entertaining like this to watch makes life a bit easier. Really excellent!

There are two massive reasons to like and admire this series.1. The characters. The solid, thoughtful Inspector Gently is perfectly matched against his hot-headed subordinate Bacchus. I love both these personalities, and the way their peculiar, very 1960s outlooks interlock. Bacchus in particular is a really great creation, because he's likable in spite of his obvious faults.2. The fact that it's ABOUT something. These are not just mindless whodunit puzzles. Each episode of the show has a strong point to make. In fact, multiple points. About how attitudes have evolved, during and since the 1960s. About human nature. About the law, and policing. This is a show that works as a police procedural, but also works extremely well as drama.Apart from those two strengths, the show has atmosphere, a unique style, great dialog, and seething emotional confrontations. It's thoughtful, yet never slow. In fact, it's good on every conceivable level, including many that are rarely present in mere TV entertainment.In short, this is one of the best cop shows ever to come out of the UK. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

I originally loved the series for the subjects it raised and how it went about it, though it could be a bit stuffy and judgemental at times.I went off it completely when I realised that George Gently had become a hypocrite.Spoiler of sorts.In one episode he jails a police chief for the unfortunate outcome of actions he took to protect his disabled son, yet in a later episode, he happily uses an illegal firearm to protect himself from gangsters and corrupt police.That was the last one I saw, as I lost any desire to see him judge people for behaviour he would ignore in himself.

It seems that a most interesting project can be ruined by political correctness if this political correctness becomes a sort of soviet propaganda. The actors are great, the characters of a wise inspector and his impetuous sergeant are impressive. But they are lost among the insupportable pathetic nonsense of how in post-war England stupid and intolerant white Brits harm black homosexuals and drug addicts (who naturally commit crimes against the law – sometimes, they also lie, drink and shag but basically in their hearts always remain very noble). I only hope that the script writers of this film got at least some bonus money as a reward from an African community responsible for smuggling illegal immigrants to Great Britain.