The Criminal review

Evidence for the prosecution: it's a British crime movie. It stars Eddie Izzard. It layers levels of plot beneath what appears to be a simple murder mystery. And every other word starts with F and ends in K.

In its defence, there are some good performances here, most notably Bernard Hill as a grouchy yet dedicated copper, while Eddie Izzard makes the most of a biggish role as a weird forensics officer. But even they can't save the film when it shifts from stylised thriller to sub-X-Files `conspiracy' territory.

The judgement? It's not dreadful, just in the wrong place. The film would work fine as one of those two-part dramas that ITV loves to churn out. TV-level stars, TV-level plot twists. Admit it: it's a TV-movie, members of the jury. Take the prisoner down.