The Great Train Robbery

Julian Jarrold & James Strong | 2013 | ★★½
Marking the 50th anniversary of the titular mail train robbery, this handsomely crafted if somewhat uneven BBC drama is presented in two neatly split feature-length parts. The first part – subtitled A Robber’s Tale – details the planning and execution of the raid, with the second part – A Copper’s Tale – detailing its investigation. Though consistently compelling, characterisation often feels a little thin, as the piece is so heavily plot-driven, but performances are mostly fine anyway. However, visually and tonally it is rather less effective, with the direction often proving needlessly flashy.