The Silence
The Silence
NR | 12 July 2010 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 1
  • Reviews
    Evengyny Thanks for the memories!
    GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible
    Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews
    Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
    suzyq1068 I found the ensemble cast inspired when I decided to stream this British drama...so many familiar faces :). The storyline was intriguing and fresh, which is what got me to watch it in the first place. Going through the episodes, I found a lot to love, even the circuitous route the plot was taking. However, once you get into the final episode, you are left with the decided impression you have been set up, and not in a good way. I appreciate good storytelling, in fact I prefer it to insipid and cliché meanderings that are rampant and clog up the tele on both sides of the pond. I do not however, appreciate the multitude of hanging threads that are in dire need of snipping in the end. Whether this was the intent, laziness, or simply a segway to inspire a further episodic endeavor (never to ultimately materialize), the end, which is not an end, leaves you with something of a bitter taste and feeling a bit betrayed. I guess there are suckers born every minute and this serves as a rather unsubtle reminder. It ruins what could otherwise make it a great series, hence my 7 rating. There are a multitude of twists and interesting plot points throughout, hinting at the serpentine conspiracy to cover up corruption and murder. So many guilty parties outside the primary two that sit at its heart...but each tantalizing tidbit that hints at other key players is sadly left to dangle. I am fabulous at whodunits....but just because I can see the angles and conspirators, doesn't mean they shouldn't be explored...in fact the story demands it. DI Edwards is awash in a sea of conspirators in his own department, in superiors, in the drug squad...but the writers never take the time to fully develop them. There is a great story here dying to be spun out...a conspiracy of corruption so serpentine it aches to be explored...but it seems the interest was not there or it wouldn't have been quashed at four episodes. What a waste, a sad, sad waste of a talented cast and potential at great drama.
    mailbox-63 Yeah, the ending left a bit to be desired. But aren't we all a bit tired of having everything wrapped up in a little bow so we can go to bed feeling happy & warm inside?Whether or not you are OK with the ending, you'll be glad you took the ride. And it was a ride. I was clenched up, completely tense for practically the entire 4 episodes. It takes a little while to get moving, but once it does the pressure is relentless.Describing this to my wife I said that it was like the movie Legend, in that nothing good ever happens to anyone, ever. Until the end. Sort of.Every time you think "finally, he/she's gonna get some help here" it doesn't happen. Every time you think there's gonna be a breakthrough & one of the "bad guys" is gonna get found out, they don't. Every time you think "it can't get any worse than this," it does.After the first two episodes I kind of didn't want to watch any more it made me so tense, with my heart beating out of my chest. I don't need everything wrapped up all nice and clean, but a little break from the relentlessness would've been nice.I say all that & it sounds like I'm telling you not to watch it. Don't pay attention to me. This is fantastic drama. Gripping, on-the-edge-of- your-seat drama. Fast-paced drama (after the first 45 minutes or so.)That said, I have to say that I didn't really like the main character, Amelia. It's been a while since I've been that young, but she seemed totally clueless & a bit selfish. OK, she's just seen a murder & is freaked out, so I probably shouldn't be too hard on her.Regardless of whether I judge her too harshly & think she could've been a bit tougher, Amelia & her mom were just not very likable. Which is fine, but I have to admit I didn't really care that much for her specifically.The character that really drew me in was Douglas Henshall's Jim, Amelia's uncle, the detective. I saw him recently in Collision & he picks up here where he left off there with a really intense performance. He's really the most unlikeable character of any of them, but I cared about him more than anyone. He put his career on the line to protect his niece & everyone shits on him for it!This is really good stuff. I love the shorter format series you get from UK television. Much more intense, compact. Not the drawn out, drip drip drip over 22 episodes.These kinds of series serve to emphasize that today television is the most compelling medium, as most wide-release films become little more than special effects extravaganzas. And now that everything is in HD there's no real difference in the actual experience when watching TV or film at home.Do yourself a favor.Watch The Silence.
    Tweekums This gripping drama which aired over four nights kept my attention through out, as each episode ended I was left enthusiastic to see the next. Set in Bristol the series follows the life of a deaf girl who witnesses the murder of a policewoman while out walking the dog for her uncle's family, being frightened she doesn't say anything when she gets home. Her uncle is a policeman who is investigating the murder and when she sees some CCTV footage he is reviewing she lip reads what the people are saying and it becomes apparent that the Bristol Drug Squad are involved. When he learns that he niece is a witness he should take her to the police station to take a formal statement but not knowing know can be trusted there he investigates alone. When the drug squad learn that there is a witness and who she is the policeman must struggle to keep her safe and bring them to justice before they can get to her.Genevieve Barr was fantastic in the roll of Amelia the deaf girl and Douglas Henshall put in a fine performance as her policeman uncle DCI Jim Edwards. They were ably supported by a cast of TV regulars. Once the characters had been introduced and the story proper had started there was an almost constant sense of threat as the drug squad menace DCI Edwards and his family. As the story approaches its conclusion the tension gets even higher and until the last scene I wasn't sure if the case would be solved or not.
    jeanjeannie38 I watched this, potentially brilliant, mini serial for each of its four days. Each day I really looked forward to the next episode. However, having now watched the whole series, I have reached the conclusion that the drama should have continued for five days instead of four. The fourth episode could very easily have concluded with a cliffhanger concerning the main character. This would have enabled the drama to end in a much more satisfying way. Instead, after watching four days of a truly gripping thriller, the ending was very disappointing. I don't think merely leaving your audience with a good idea of the probably outcome of a drama is a patch on concluding with a fully rounded ending. Instead of the series concluding in a way that left me pleased I have invested my time and energy in it, I was left feeling it had been cut short because the writer (or director) had simply run out of steam. On the plus side the acting, especially of those playing the two leading characters, was first class.