Life of Crime (2013) User Reviews

A very watchable three part series.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 12 November 2020]

Life of Crime charts the career progression of Denise Woods, we see the beginning of her career, and get three snapshots from it. In each of the three eras she is motivated by the crimes of one killer.

It's a very smart looking, well produced series, it looks great, it's well written, and very well acted. Hayley Atwell is excellent throughout, we see her go from naive rookie to hardened career driven Detective.

It's interesting, it deals with political and cultural issues, we see how badly Denise is treated at the beginning of her career, to someone that's giving the orders in present day.

Denise isn't always the most likeable of characters, at times she's deplorable, but that makes her human.

It's very good, 8/10.

Very good series..

[boomer-kris · 8/10 · 4 January 2022]

My only complaint is that it felt rushed. It's too bad the story didn't get a chance to evolve. The characters jump 10 years per episode with no chance for character development.

I recommend watching the full three episodes at the same time.

Truly excellent series !

[deboraey · 10/10 · 3 December 2015]

I had to write this comment because of the two bad user comments that are in fact totally and utterly preposterous.

This is an excellent series: good story, superb casting and acting (especially Hayley Atwell!), exiting and in the whole an extremely entertaining BBC production.

The quality of the series is - as most of BBC's crime series - super: the three episodes in the three consecutive decades (198's0, 1990's, 2000's) are pictured remarkably good in the corresponding time image.

I'm not going to reveal much about the story - read the summary - but the series is well worth watching . . .if you like good crime stories no doubt you'll love this one!

Well done series with an interesting skewing of ambition vs family, ethics and feminism

[msghall · 5/10 · 29 December 2018]

Enjoyable series, tautly directed and well written. The acting is fine and concept of three episodes at different times during a 20 year career shows how a once-corrupt police officer ambitiously advances through the ranks at a heartbreaking cost to her family.

The lead character, despite being fraught with emotions not conducive to good policing, is nevertheless rewarded in her determination to 'get her man.' Morality and ethics questions abound. How many other cases did this detective tamper with? We don't really know and this show doesn't seem bothered by the character's dubious ethical choices.

Sadly, this provocative series is resolved in the most pat, convenient, audience-pleasing manner, almost making a mockery of some of the previous hard but engrossing choices confronting not just the characters but the viewer, too.

Enjoyed

[derby-08324 · 10/10 · 4 February 2020]

Wish it had continued, enjoyed the series. It may have been slow to some but I get tired of fast-paced blow'em up.

A waste for Hayley Atwell

[ldlazarus · 3/10 · 7 July 2013]

This was not one of the better police procedurals and frankly, a waste of Hayley Atwell's talent.

The three episodes cover a 28 year lifespan of WPC Denise Woods from 1985, when she was a Woman Police Constable to the present time, as she is now, a Superintendent. The initial criticism is that other than a change in hairstyle, she didn't age one bit. One would think that with all the stress of police work, and in this plot line she had her fair share of stress, she would show some physical scars from the strain of it all.

Her personal storyline was somewhat unbelievable. Promotion, demotion for planting evidence, and then promotion again to a senior rank somewhat strained the credibility. The overall plot stretching 28 years over three episodes left a lot of gaps in what could have been an interesting back-story - her relationship with her husband and her colleagues. Two additional episodes in might have been able to improve that and give some depth as to how she managed to regain and even surpass her previous rank and why it took so long for Denise Woods to catch the criminal she was so obsessed with from the beginning.

Hayley Atwell is an immensely talented actress and she has appeared in some great roles; Pillars of the Earth, The Sweeney, Falcon, etc., to name a few. This was not one of her better roles.

The three stars are for the production, which in itself was OK.

Seems to Start on a False Premise

[johnvhoward · 9/10 · 19 January 2022]

While I am completely happy with the 3-part episodic structure, the acting, production, and even the lack of judgement for the lead's actions (this is a story about how people act, not a morality play) I find the outcome of the first episode unbelievable.

How could a wet-behind-the-ears WPC, not even a detective, be held responsible for the decision to charge and try the suspect? The decision to present a case to the Crown Prosecution Service would be approved at least at the level of the DI, and the CPS would make the decision to prosecute. And then she ends up essentially being on trial personally for this case 12 years later, and having to accept or reject a deal? Surely the world isn't this bonkers?

Other than that, I enjoyed seeing a flawed female character, and if she gets away with it (being right doesn't make what she did right) then that's how the world works. In fact, how it very often works.

poor acting , poor script, poor story

[batmancox · 24 May 2013]

I'm sad to say this is a real let down. I watched the first episode and tried to watch the second in case it improved. The acting was not believable, the storyline was bitty and unoriginal. The characters didn't give me any belief in the programme.

The lead character is a female cop, following in daddy's footsteps. The acting is poor but then again her script is so weak. The situation she gets in unbelievable.

eps 1 is set in 1985 but let me assure you it came over as false. I'd guess it's a younger person's view who didn't live through it.

Very stereotypical view of other cops in the series and not sure why the head cop needed to shout all the time at a new female rookie - it just all came across as poor.

Turned off before finishing the second episode.

Hayley Atwell Can't Save this Series.

[Rupert17 · 5/10 · 28 September 2017]

One of the reviewers here felt he/she had to write a review to refute the negative reviews of the other two featured on this page. I agree with the other two that this is a poorly fleshed out mini series that even the talented Hayley Atwell cannot redeem.

The police,and especially Hayley's character, spend over twenty years dancing around three rapes and getting nowhere. There is even tampering with evidence to secure a conviction, be it one of the actual rapists.This convicted criminal spends many years in jail, then comes out and sues for a flawed conviction. Absolute rubbish! Hayley's character appears to be about as incompetent as you can get, but ends up in the lofty rank of superintendent. She never admits to tampering with evidence.

There is also a running theme that a woman cannot have a career and be a good mother and wife,and it overreaches into the current era. Pretty bad stuff. Hayley is good as usual. 5/10

Data output vs daylight

[trokanmariel-17760 · 10/10 · 23 September 2021]

There is proving a point - or proving "the" point. Hang on to that - proving the point.

There is the build-up, needed by proving the point. One can call it the build-up, or, one can term it as the accumulation of expectation.

Finally, there is the outcast. Data output vs days of the weeks' accumulation.

The outcast has to separate from their own data out put, so that the accumulation of days and years isn't exposed as evil.

A testament, to the beauty of Hayley Atwell.

(The creator of data had to lose their data, and their ability to prove their point, so that the creator of days and daylight is safe from judgement)