Olive Martin (Pauline Quirke) is spending her life behind bars for the horrifying murder of two family members, who were not only chopped to pieces but also had their parts rearranged—earning Olive the nickname "the Sculptress," a tag reinforced in prison by her penchant for carving candles into wax figurines. But is Olive truly guilty? True-crime author Rosalind Leigh (Caroline Goodall) is trying to find out, and while Olive proves to be an intelligent and sympathetic subject (though seemingly capable of exploding into rage at any moment), the facts in the case suggest she could be covering for someone else. Meanwhile, Rosalind is an emotional wreck following the death of her daughter in a car accident (in a vehicle driven by the writer's drunken ex-husband), which spurs the perceptive Olive to try to help Rosalind express her repressed anger over the loss. More and more convinced of Olive's innocence, Rosalind reaches out to a former cop (Christopher Fulford)—who quit the force over the poor handling of Olive's case—to help clear Olive's name. Based on the novel by Minette Walters, director Stuart Orme's PBS Mystery!-aired 1996 The Sculptress is an intelligent, taut tale, strengthened by interesting characters who interact in intriguing ways. Recommended. (T. Keogh)
The Sculptress
WGBH, 168 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95 Volume 21, Issue 5
The Sculptress
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