Unfortunately the full, four-hour version of FRAMED is not available in the U.S. The two-hour DVD presentation (which aired in America on A&E) is at times difficult to follow due to the convoluted plot line, but is well worth seeing for the compelling performances by Timothy Dalton, David Morrissey and the rest of the cast in a psychological crime thriller where you are never quite sure how it will end up until almost the very last moment. Dalton plays a criminal playboy mastermind who is slippery beyond belief and gives a hard-hitting, edgy performance in a demanding role... possibly his best ever. (Let's just say this character makes James Bond look like Mr. Bean by comparison!) Morrissey is great as the eager young cop who falls under his influence. If you enjoyed movies like INSIDE MAN or SILENCE OF THE LAMBS you'll probably find this worth viewing.Fortunately, most of Dalton's performance is preserved in the two-hour version, which nevertheless cuts out a lot of scenes involving David Morrisey's character and his wife, and Dalton's interactions with "his girls," as well as the vast majority of the series' first episode that takes place in Spain.

I've only seen this in the 'edited' DVD form. If this is indeed cut to bits like I've read, the original must have been fantastic. I thought that the performances of David Morrissey and Timothy Dalton were riveting.

* * * WARNING -- POSSIBLE SPOILERS * * *Timothy Dalton plays a major criminal, captured by the British police, who is "grassing" (informing) on his confederates to avoid a long sentence. On one side of the action, he plays cat and mouse mindgames with his young, inexperienced police interrogator; on the other, his ex-gang is desperate to kill him before he spills too much. While the grittiness and police procedure are pluses, Dalton is much too glossy to play a criminal. His movie star good looks clash startlingly with the realistic, plain countenances of the cops (and the robbers!). Much of the middle of the movie is claustrophobic, taking place underground in one of the police safe cells. Worst of all, several major plot threads are left dangling at the "surprise" conclusion, including the fate of the chain-smoking chief inspector, and the total disappearance of the hovering bad-guy assassins. It looks almost as tho Lynda LaPlante's script was intended for a miniseries, and it was violently abbreviated to fit it into a feature film.2 1/2 stars out of 5.

It's a shame that A&E's pitifully-edited version of Framed is the only one most American audiences have seen; for it showcases one of Timothy Dalton's most striking performances. As Eddie Myers, Dalton is charming, frightening, slimy, and charismatic. Down to the last scene, you're never sure what he will do. Hopefully, the full PAL version translated to NTSC will eventually be available in the US. In the meantime, watch the A&E version (they replay it occasionally). It's better than nothing.