Dirty Tricks (2000) (TV)

Director:

Paul Seed

Writers:

Nigel Williams (screenplay) and
Michael Dibdin (novel)

Release Date:

24 September 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Dirty Tricks stars Martin Clunes, who plays an English tutor at an Oxford language school. Although Edward can be charming and thoughtful...

Plot Keywords:

Inheritance | Love | Money | Murder | Oxford

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Martin Clunes	...	Edward
James Bolam	...	Moss
George Potts	...	Root
Julie Graham	...	Karen
Neil Dudgeon	...	Dennis
Henry Goodman	...	Thomas
Matt Bardock	...	Clive Phillips
Fabiano Martell	...	Massimo
Martin Marquez	...	Garcia
Kanako Morishita	...	Kayoko
Lindsay Duncan	...	Alison
Anna Popplewell	...	Rebecca
Neville Phillips	...	Vicar
Robin Griffith	...	Welsh Flunkey
Barbara Kirby	...	Registrar

Runtime:

162 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Little Bird

Trivia:

Edward states that he learned French so that he could read "Thérèse Racquin" in the original language. "Thérèse Racquin" is about an adulterous couple who dispose of the woman's husband so that they may be together, a close parallel to the story of "Dirty Tricks."

Classic Clunes

The polite dinner party question was "And why did you read languages?" And the answer from Edward the perpetual student of culture was "So that I could learn how to use language to conceal my real intentions."

Martin Clunes is at his best in this black comedy crime drama. The English excell at this kind of thing and this is a particularly good example of the genre. It should be pointed out to anyone who's seen Men Behaving Badly that here in Dirty Tricks we are prvileged to see Clunes display some amazing versitility. He's heartless, manipulative, lying, creative and utterly fascinating as the anti-hero of this piece.

Edward is a language teacher who has the class and culture to enjoy life but unfortunately not the funds. All this changes when he is invited to a dinner party by his employer's accountant. After his host's wife accosts Edward in the upstairs bathroom, things begin on a rollercoaster ride which sees Edward come into some serious money and some serious legal trouble to go with his new good fortune.

Edward lies and manipulates his way through the plot, his ability with language clearly coming in handy. The plot itself is simple but at the same time packed with elaborate detail. And the more detail there is, the more the viewer is drawn into the murky world of Edward's Oxford.

I confess to not having read the book on which this show is based, but having seen this adaptation I will be seeking out the book for sure.