A really good film noir style mini-series covering subjects that aren't normally treated on TV, at least not so unsaccharin as this. The two leads are really top-notch and Jason Isaccs especially good as an icy, over-restrained psychopath. He manages at the same time to give the character tremendous sympathy - not easy when you're a brutal gangster. The period is also caught unusually well, catching the drabness of the sixties in Britain, instead of portraying it as a really hip time when everyone wore psychedelic clothes and sung Beatles tunes. Highly recommended - I just wish that they would issue it on video. Distributors please take note!
5 Reviews
Dark and intriguing.
eiglas200331 May 2006
This was the first vehicle in which I remember seeing Jason Isaacs and his treatment of his character left a lasting impression on me. To me, it's a testament to his talent that he could make such an unpleasant individual sympathetic and, at times, vulnerable. As mentioned in an earlier crit, the unusual presentation of a drab and colourless sixties really creates an atmosphere of sordidity and the authentic sets added to this (...don't you just HATE it when you mumble under your breath '..and that wallpaper's wrong for the time too...'). The impressive cast guaranteed excellent performances all round but, for me, Isaacs took the gong. (I was particularly pleased to later discover he is a fellow Scouser!) Dangerous Lady is available on video at Amazon.co.uk. Buy it. It's good.
A cracking four part series.
Sleepin_Dragon19 May 2021
Dangerous Lady is an excellent four part series from the pen of Martina Cole.
It tells the story of The Ryan family, a group of gangsters, comprising six brothers, and one sister.
It looks amazing, it's a lavish drama, which is wonderfully atmospheric and moody, the music accompanies the series very well.
The development of Mickey and Maura across the four parts is impressive, you may start off thinking this is going to be the Jason Isaacs show, and he is great, but the standout her is definitely Susan Lynch. A great cast, and lots of familiar faces.
It's aged well, it doesn't look twenty five years old today.
Very watchable, 8/10.
It tells the story of The Ryan family, a group of gangsters, comprising six brothers, and one sister.
It looks amazing, it's a lavish drama, which is wonderfully atmospheric and moody, the music accompanies the series very well.
The development of Mickey and Maura across the four parts is impressive, you may start off thinking this is going to be the Jason Isaacs show, and he is great, but the standout her is definitely Susan Lynch. A great cast, and lots of familiar faces.
It's aged well, it doesn't look twenty five years old today.
Very watchable, 8/10.
A provocative and compelling story
phantomminuet23 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I stayed up until 2 a.m. watching this mini-series, because Jason Isaac's performance as Michael Ryan, an ambitious, violent thug who has been the primary caretaker of his large family since he was a child, is so mesmerizing that I simply could not stop watching. Although the performances of the whole cast range between very good and outstanding, my favorite scenes were all focused on Michael's relationship with his mother. Every single scene between them was amazing, even the most painful and contentious of their encounters. Michael is so strong, so resolute, so self-sufficient and self-confident, and yet his mother still has the power to undo him completely. An Irish mother is a powerful being, a living Madonna, and an Irish son can never completely escape his desire for her good regard and affection. When Mrs. Ryan finally turns Michael out of her house, the disbelief and despair on his face is devastating.
Susan Lynch is wonderful as Maura, and I think the mini-series was supposed to be primarily her story, as opposed to her brother's, but Jason's performance of Michael is too powerful. It will break your heart.
Susan Lynch is wonderful as Maura, and I think the mini-series was supposed to be primarily her story, as opposed to her brother's, but Jason's performance of Michael is too powerful. It will break your heart.
Outstanding!
sevswoman11 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
A must see for Jason Isaacs fans. Terse multi-faceted psychological drama features superb performances by Jason and Susan Lynch. Jason plays a gang leader beset by inner turmoils and caught in a web of his own making. Susan plays his somewhat sheltered sister who finds her life changed irrevocably by the family business.
Plot twists and subterfuge interlaced with well-fleshed out characters. Real and gutsy. Brutally raw in places, yet keeps you riveted to the screen. An emotional roller coaster. Takes on several adult themes (homosexuality, incest, etc.) in addition to the usual mobster fare. Thought provoking. Will keep you discussing this show and it's issues for days afterwards.
Quintessential Jason Isaacs. A must see for fans. Jason doesn't get any better than this! And contains a plus for Jason watchers- his bare booty.
Plot twists and subterfuge interlaced with well-fleshed out characters. Real and gutsy. Brutally raw in places, yet keeps you riveted to the screen. An emotional roller coaster. Takes on several adult themes (homosexuality, incest, etc.) in addition to the usual mobster fare. Thought provoking. Will keep you discussing this show and it's issues for days afterwards.
Quintessential Jason Isaacs. A must see for fans. Jason doesn't get any better than this! And contains a plus for Jason watchers- his bare booty.
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