INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES:

FOR THE SAKE OF ELENA

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: homosexuality, language

Rated:

Early in the morning on a college campus, a young woman goes jogging. Crossing a quaint bridge over quiet waters, she pauses to inspect a figure laying in the road. Her fingers unearth a suit stuffed with hay -- and she is slammed over the head from behind, knocking her to the ground. Little over an hour later, artist Sarah Gordon (Cherie Lunghi) comes to sketch on the bridge... and finds the girl's body. The jogger was Elena Weaver (Samantha Baker), one of the most popular girls at the nearby women's college. She was fun, flirtatious, a top student... and also deaf. Her wealthy father disapproved of her learning sign language. Her stepmother Justine (Sophie Ward) wasn't overly fond of her. Her roommate can reveal nothing of Elena's state of mind, or why she would have gone out alone.

There are also the men in Elena's life, jumbled family relationships, peculiar inconsistencies in Elena's normal habits, and more than one scandal lurking just below the surface as the family must deal with burying a beautiful girl. Inspector Thomas Lynley (Nathaniel Parker) and his partner Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) unearth more than one morbid twist at the school. What about the teacher who is known for carrying on with his students? The jealous best friend? The possibilities are endless but all boil down to a surprising twist involving jealousy and betrayal. True to form, there are plenty of red herrings, suspicious characters, and more than the usual amount of speed bumps along the way. Many of the episodes from this series involve adultery on some level; in this instance it takes center stage, along with implied promiscuity, sly winks at lesbianism, and some harsh abuse of deity.

As mysteries go this one is decent in structure and planning. The characters continue to develop and grow and it hooks you with some fabulous twists. Lynley and Havers are both very likable, arguing their way through difficult situations and letting more than one romantic spark fly. You can tell they're eventually destined for item hood but in the meantime enjoy provoking one another's temper, while Lynley yearns for a boyhood sweetheart. The film points fingers in one direction and then swivels around to shock us; this is carried out very well, given the nature of the plot's structure. There are only so many characters and therefore the murderer must be one of them. The atmosphere is also very moody and while Lynley takes on the case with deliberation, it's slightly lacking in emotion. The main problem here is all the sexual implications and references. Language is more of an issue as well, with four abuses of Christ's name and one vulgar British expression, along with mild profanity.

Violence is minimal with only a brief glimpse of the dead girl's bloodstained body, but sexual references and implications run pretty high. We learn a main character is involved in an adulterous relationship despite his current wife, who he also carried on an affair with while married to yet another woman. He embraces his wife from behind (his arms encircle her breasts) and asks her to come to bed. She refuses and later apologies for it, offering willingness "if he still wants to" (he doesn't). One of the teachers is revealed to have been "sexually harassing" Elena. He becomes fed up with Havers' accusations and reveals himself to her by throwing his bathrobe at her feet. The audience briefly sees backside nudity. We also see Lynley showering through a hazy door at a distance (some details are still visible) before he comes out in a towel. Elena is revealed to be a "promiscuous little slut." There is an allusion to rape, and her dorm partner is a lesbian currently involved in a "female relationship." Her partner goes home to face the difficult path of "telling her parents about them."

I really like Lynley and his quirky police partner, but Elizabeth George makes it difficult to enjoy her stories with so many clandestine affairs, homosexual characters, and playful motives. It would nice to sit down and watch this pair in a less one-track-minded film. It's interesting and thought-provoking for older teens and adults but I would recommend Poirot instead.