HALLIFAX FP: ACT OF BETRAYAL

Australia, 1994, 90 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca Gilling, Sophie Lee, Andrew Mc Farlane, Marcus Graham, John Gregg, Natalie Bate.
Directed by Paul Moloney.

Hallifax FP is a series devised by Roger Le Mesurier for Australian television. It was particularly successful during the mid-'90s and at least nine features were made.

The film offered a star role to Rebecca Gibney as Jane Hallifax, the forensic psychologist who resolves a number of cases using her psychological skills, her police training.

The films also offered the opportunity for many top directors to work on feature films and for many stars and character actors in the Australian film industry. Many of them, including Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, won AFI awards for their performances. The stars for this particular episode include Andrew McFarlane? as a psychiatrist and Sophie Lee as a young woman dependent on him.

The films use the Melbourne backgrounds to considerable effect and keep audiences interested with their psychological insights as well as the resolution of the mystery.

1.Entertaining murder mystery? Telemovie for the home audience? Contributing to a series about Jane Hallifax?

2.The Melbourne settings, the city itself, the courts? The surrounding countryside? Musical score?

3.The focus on Jane Hallifax? Her work, seeing her at court, cross-examinations, her psychological practice, ethical issues, personal issues?

4.The prologue and the story of the politician, his relationship to his mistress, his wife, the hospital? The shooting? Her arrest and going to court? The plea of insanity or not? The arguments? The wife and her own comments on the situation and her action? The verdict?

5.Owen Taylor and his relationship to Corrie? His practice? His sexual relationship with her? His later resistance towards her? His wife and children? Going to Tasmania? Her death, the police and the interrogation? The truth, her pregnancy, his going to pieces? His friendship with Jane, going to her? The past friendship? Obsessive? The arguments, the police, Doyle, the hospital? Jane gradually getting more information, going to the psychologist? Owen going to the edge? Taking Jane, the confession? The clifftop? His death? His motivation, his lies, affairs, his killing himself?

6.Jane and her relationship with Owen, the past, ethical issues? At home, listening to him, the police threat? Her advice, her action, not knowing the truth? His death and his wife and her?

7.The portrait of the Melbourne police, tough style, interrogations? Methods and apologies?

8.The pursuit, the clash, the truth? Doyle and Corrie? The violence, the arrest, the cell, the psychologist?

9.The court and the lawyers, the cross-examinations and their style, the judge?

10.An effective police drama, psychological dimensions, ethical issues? The law and justice? The resolution of the mystery?