Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing and butchering her mother and sister and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to ... See full summary »
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
If your account is linked with Facebook and you have turned on sharing, this will show up in your activity feed. If not, you can turn on sharing
here
.
Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing and butchering her mother and sister and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to write a book about her life, author Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) begins to develop a relationship with Olive and is soon convinced of her innocence. With the help of restaurant owner and former policeman Hal Hawksley (Fulford), she sets out to prove it and undo what she sees as a miscarriage of justice. However, all is not what is seems. Written by
Jonathan Broxton <j.w.broxton@sheffield.ac.uk>
The Sculptress (1997) PBS Mystery! Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing & butchering her mother & sister & sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to write a book about her life, author Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) begins to develop a relationship with Olive & is soon convinced of her innocence. With the help of restaurant owner & former policeman Hal Hawksley (Fulford), she sets out to prove it & undo what she sees as a miscarriage of justice. However, all is not what is seems.. 'The nature of the crime she carved her mother & young sister into parts with an ax , hence 'sculptress' the grossness of her person (26 stone of lard & jelly) & the grim refusal to plead diminished responsibility all ensure the murderess a special place in the chamber of horrors. Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) is a 'natural' for the woman with writer's block & personal problems who tries to get through to her in prison & finds her preconceptions gradually undermined as she investigates the background: negligent solicitor, baffled defense council, prissy father, lecherous 'uncles' & the slimy underside of provincial sociology. Ignoring warnings that Olive is a compulsive liar, Rosalind is drawn into a strange relationship of manipulation & mutual trust. When Roz & Hal Hawksley, now in love, finally separate the threads in this story & identify the murderer, we can't help but feel good when Olive is released & greets Roz with a smile of pure, innocent joy. Minette Walters (2nd book) won the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel ,one of the detective fiction genre's highest accolades for The Sculptress. The film ends with a chilling ambiguity and a strange smile on the face of Olive. The Sculptress excellent entertainment I just view this again 02/25/10--first time around I was cleaning & cooking or something. This time the 2 episodes got my undivided attention. This film is really dynamite entertainment. five stars
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
The Sculptress (1997) PBS Mystery! Olive Martin (Quirke), a heavily overweight young woman is convicted of killing & butchering her mother & sister & sentenced to life imprisonment. However, when she is assigned to write a book about her life, author Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) begins to develop a relationship with Olive & is soon convinced of her innocence. With the help of restaurant owner & former policeman Hal Hawksley (Fulford), she sets out to prove it & undo what she sees as a miscarriage of justice. However, all is not what is seems.. 'The nature of the crime she carved her mother & young sister into parts with an ax , hence 'sculptress' the grossness of her person (26 stone of lard & jelly) & the grim refusal to plead diminished responsibility all ensure the murderess a special place in the chamber of horrors. Rosalind Leigh (Goodall) is a 'natural' for the woman with writer's block & personal problems who tries to get through to her in prison & finds her preconceptions gradually undermined as she investigates the background: negligent solicitor, baffled defense council, prissy father, lecherous 'uncles' & the slimy underside of provincial sociology. Ignoring warnings that Olive is a compulsive liar, Rosalind is drawn into a strange relationship of manipulation & mutual trust. When Roz & Hal Hawksley, now in love, finally separate the threads in this story & identify the murderer, we can't help but feel good when Olive is released & greets Roz with a smile of pure, innocent joy. Minette Walters (2nd book) won the 1994 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel ,one of the detective fiction genre's highest accolades for The Sculptress. The film ends with a chilling ambiguity and a strange smile on the face of Olive. The Sculptress excellent entertainment I just view this again 02/25/10--first time around I was cleaning & cooking or something. This time the 2 episodes got my undivided attention. This film is really dynamite entertainment. five stars