Fairly good as far as these things go. Filmed in a particularly verdant corner of Spain (Galicia), Bitter Daisies has enough to keep you watching : Interesting locale, solid performances and compelling serial killer type storyline. Anchoring it all is a low key but effective performance by Maria Mera playing the strong, silent type of police investigator. You never quite know what she will do next to unearth the truth bubbling under the surface of a seemingly idyllic small town, and her veiled psychology is rather fascinating to watch.
Tropes I could do without in international crime dramas : 1) The mentally disabled character who seems to wander around the village unsupervised and you know is just another red herring in the storyline. This type of character is an unwanted update to the "village idiot" of films from times gone by and (deservedly)long forgotten. 2) Ineffectual/Psychotic Male characters who either bumble around, unconsciously obstructing the lead character's investigation or are irredeemably psychotic. Of course, the flipside to this is the lone strong female character in a sea of female characters that exist merely to be violated/bumped off.
Tropes I could do without in international crime dramas : 1) The mentally disabled character who seems to wander around the village unsupervised and you know is just another red herring in the storyline. This type of character is an unwanted update to the "village idiot" of films from times gone by and (deservedly)long forgotten. 2) Ineffectual/Psychotic Male characters who either bumble around, unconsciously obstructing the lead character's investigation or are irredeemably psychotic. Of course, the flipside to this is the lone strong female character in a sea of female characters that exist merely to be violated/bumped off.