An Unsuitable Job for A Woman is a 1982 crime drama loosely based on the novel of the same name by P.D. James and directed by Chris Petit (Chinese Boxes, Flight to Berlin and Radio On). The film stars Billie Whitelaw (Hot Fuzz, The Omen, The Krays and Dark Crystal), Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hot Fuzz and The Long Good Friday), Pippa Guard (The Mill on the Floss and a host of other well-respected TV series and films including adaptions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest) and Andrew Lunn (Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Go-Between and the animated Lord of the Rings). 

Cordelia Gray (Pippa Guard) discovers the detective she works for dead in his office, we then discover that he has bequeathed the agency to her in his will. On the day of the funeral, Cordelia is paid a visit by Elizabeth Leaming (Whitelaw) who is looking to employ her former boss on behalf of James Calendar (Freeman), after explaining to Leaming that her boss is no longer alive Cordelia is hired in his place to investigate the suicide of Calendar’s son, Mark. After visiting the cottage Mark was living in, Cordelia slowly starts piecing together the clues to Mark’s death. The more she uncovers about Mark’s life the more she begins to suspect that the verdict of suicide may not have been at all accurate, and the more she becomes obsessed with him.

An Unsuitable Job for A Woman is a stylish and reasonably effective thriller; however, it has to be said, it’s a really slow burn. Possibly, a little too slow for some people, as the pacing is almost glacial at times. That said, Guard gives a very strong but understated performance as Cordelia Gray, the woman trying to piece together the puzzle, while Whitelaw is superb as her nemesis, the guarded, untrusting, and very secretive Elizabeth Leaming. The rest of the cast give fairly solid performances, especially Paul Freeman as the boy’s father and Dominic Guard as Mark’s friend, Andrew. The print is struck from the new 4k master and looks sharp with good natural colours whilst preserving just enough grain that it stays true to its original film stock. The disc features a reasonable selection of bonus materials including interviews with director, Petit, producer, Don Boyd and actor Dominic Guard, alongside the usual trailers and image gallery. 

Overall, An Unsuitable Job for A Woman is a very solid release for an underappreciated film. If you enjoy a good slow-burn mystery, then this is the film for you, however, those who enjoy a faster pace may find this a little too slow for their tastes.