Hidden

Originally broadcast in 2011 on the BBC, this four-part series serves up vigorous action and mystery in a twisted tale of corruption, murder, and conspiracies. Hard-bitten solicitor Harry Venn (Philip Glenister) has effectively hidden his miscreant past as a getaway driver in a robbery that went awry, but it bubbles up to the surface when a shady lawyer, Gina Hawkes (Thekla Reuten), hires him to track down an alibi witness who mysteriously disappeared. Taking the case, Harry winds up on an unexpected detour: an investigation into his brother's death 20 years earlier in the botched attempted theft. Harry's personal drama plays against percolating crises in present-day London, where rioters protesting government cuts have shut down most of the city, and the seemingly unrelated stories slowly overlap and then intertwine into a violent, fast-paced tale. At times, Hidden feels somewhat overcooked with its surplus of intrigue and mayhem, and the political machinations occasionally seem like a mean-spirited parody of old Yes, Minister scripts. But Glenister shines in a performance that recalls the glory days of film-noir tough guys, his seemingly doughy appearance merely camouflaging a memorable anti-hero who is ready and eager for any challenge thrown at him. Recommended. (P. Hall)