Category Archives: Mystery Film

2011, Clever Plot, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, FBI, Grim, Murder Investigation, Mystery Film, Politicians, TV Series, Violent, Wonderful acting

The Killing (2011)

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From Net Flix:

The disappearance of a young Seattle girl sets in motion this moody crime series centering on a detective — Sarah Linden — who’s trying to start a new life in California but is unable to walk away from the mysteries posed by the complex case.

Three years after I first wrote this review (2014), Kathy and I have just finished streaming all 26 episodes of season one plus season two (no, not in one sitting). You must see both seasons to see the entire Rosie Larsen story. Amazon Prime offers four seasons for free. You can also use your Roku to search for all streaming sources for any given film, series, or whatever. There is more than one streaming source for “The Killing”.

This TV series from 2011 is well-written, well-acted, and immensely engaging. How, you might ask, can you spend two TV years investigating just one murder? As soon as you start the series you will understand how the plot intertwines many connected and well-constructed threads.

Rosie Larsen is found drowned in a sunken car. Finding her killer involves her family, her teachers, her friends, two starring detectives, and, possibly most interesting of all, an politician running for the office of Seattle’s mayor against a corrupt incumbent. Searching for that murder brings sorrow, family dysfunction, violence, false leads, FBI involvement, unjustified persecution, and the list goes on.

At times the series seemed to drag. An awful lot of time was spent watching the Larsen family suffer the effects of the murder. Just as much time was spent watching the detective Sarah get so involved with the case that she as a single mother does NOT do a good job raising her son. Thank goodness she has the support of her partner detective Holder.

Many surprises are in store, especially in the last episode. It is perhaps realistic and to the writer’s credit that some of the bad guys get away with their skullduggery.

Watching this series from week to week would have been sheer torture. Thank goodness the NetFlix discs let us watch episode after episode without foolish interruptions such as food, sleep, etc.

DO NOT MISS!

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, British Mystery Series, Crime, Detective, Mystery Film

Midsomer Murders (1997-2012)

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Beginning in 1997 British TV has offered 91 (by my count) episodes of a detective series called “Midsomer Murders”. As in much British TV of this nature you are immersed in a green, fertile, picturesque, made-for-gullible-Americans locale where everything seems so quaint, friendly, folksy, and what we hope is typically British. But that is precisely why Kathy and I enjoy the series. Yes, you do see blood and you could not very well have a murder mystery without a murder or three. But even the occasional torture scene is downright polite. All of this contrasts completely with another current British TV suspense culture which often goes out of its way to be gory, explicit, pessimistic, and gloomy in the extreme. Examples of the latter are “Waking the Dead” or “MI-5”. Whereas Kathy does NOT leave the room for “Midsomer Murders”, there are scenes from the rough series that send her flying in terror. Somehow the sex and violence does not seem to phase yours truly.

Another attractive feature of the series is the slower pace. Plots can be complicated but often there is discussion between characters that tries to explain what is happening.

Additionally an episode is willing to include some “sideshow attraction” such as fifteen minutes of a cricket match or a town’s tradition of a donkey race. That may sound stupid, but actually these extras only add to the charm of the series.

And again I applaud the intelligent tradition in British drama to use actors who are not handsome or beautiful but just plain interesting.

If you want a complete catalog of the series, go IMDB. In addition to learn all about the fictional county called Midsomer as well as the large cast of characters you can try Wikipedia.

Beginning in 2006 the DVDs offer subtitles which Kathy and I need. Therefore I have listed below only those episodes which offer subtitles.

Season 9

Four Funerals and a Wedding
Country Matters
Death in Chorus
Last Year’s Model

Season 10

Dance with the Dead
The Animal Withing
King’s Crystal
The Axeman Cometh
Death and Dust
Picture of Innocence
They Seek Him Here
Death in a Chocolate Box

Season 11

Shot at Dawn
Blood Wedding
Left for Dead
Midsomer Life
The Magician’s Nephew
Days of Misrule
Talking to the Dead

Season 12

The Dogleg Murders
The Black Book
Secrets and Spies
The Glitch
Small Mercies
The Creeper
The Great and the Good

Season 13

Sword of Guillaume
Made-to-Measure Murders
Blood on the Saddle
Silent Land
Master Class
Noble Art
Not in my Backyard
Fit for Murder

Season 14

Death in the Slow Lane
Dark Secrets
Echos of the Dead
The Oblong Murders
Sleeper Under the Hill
Night of the Stag
Sacred Trust
Rare Bird

Season 15

The Dark Rider
Murder of Innocence

Let me know when you have seen all of them.

2011, Mediocre, Mystery Film, Plot Twist, Psychological Thriller, Supernatural, Suspense, Violent

Dream House (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Daniel Craig plays Will Atenton, a successful businessman who forsakes New York City for the rural pleasures of New England, only to discover that the tranquil abode he’s moved into was the scene of an as-yet-unsolved multiple homicide. Drawn reluctantly into the mystery surrounding the tragic events, Will and his wife (Rachel Weisz) soon begin finding plenty of reasons to worry about their own safety in this psychological thriller.

Another haunted house film ? Not really. In fact the plot twist here is clever and unexpected. Unfortunately the details at the end are easy to miss. For help in this respect see the Wikipedia plot summary. Also our hero gets some ghostly help that just seems like cheating.

Give it a “B”. There are better films out there.

2011, Clever Plot, Crime, Detective, Love Story, Mystery Film, Plot Twist, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense

Faces in the Crowd (2011)

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From NetFlix:

Milla Jovovich stars in this thriller about a woman who suffers from “face-blindness,” the inability to remember people’s faces. With the serial killer who caused her condition still on the loose, the woman lives in fear of his return.

While not exactly A-material, I don’t remember ever having seen a suspense whodunnit with this particular very original theme of “face-blindness”. Acting is not bad. There are unexpected surprises in addition to discovering the serial killer. Keep in mind that she cannot recognize people by their faces including the killer.

Somewhat hokey was the psychiatrist who hypnotizes her. That old movie solution seems by now a bit worn out.

Coincidentally while watching this film whose “gimmick” is facial recognition I kept staring at the police detective thinking I had seen him before. Sure enough, Sam Kerrest is played by Julian McMahon who was one of the plastic surgeons in “Nip/Tuck”. In those days he was a mere 35 years old (his partner was Dylan Walsh who is currently playing in the TV series “Unforgettable”). So I am seeing a heavy-set man with a paunch and a heavy mustache and it eventually hits me that here is Julian McMahon now age 43. My but what 8 years can do to a person. Perhaps I better get to the gym.

Not to titillate, but there are sex scenes including a succession in which her partner hovering over her has a different face each time she looks.

Not at all a waste of time!

2008, Acceptable for children, British Mystery Series, Car Chase, Corny, Drama, Flirting, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mystery Film, Old-Fashioned, Plot Twist, Suspense, Trains, Wonderful photography

The 39 Steps (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones) has his holiday interrupted when secret agent Scudder (Eddie Marsan) bursts into his apartment, staying alive just long enough to deposit a notebook. Pegged with murder, Hannay must decode the book and nab the culprits — before they find him first. In this nimble BBC update of John Buchan’s novel, German spies and British police give chase as Hannay races to deliver the coveted code and avert a world war.

Rupert Penry-Jones and Matthew MacFadyen take turns starring in the excellent British TV series MI-5 . That series started in 2002. Since this Masterpiece Classic was made in 2008, I assume these two actors rotate in order to give them time to do other acting.

Think of “The 39 Steps” as a Harlequin Spy Romance with possibly its tongue in its cheek. Penry-Jones is accidentally thrust into an effort to prevent Germany from attacking the British navy just prior to World War I. He gets to run up and down hills, run through woods, drive vintage cars in exciting 20 mph car chases, solve encrypted messages, discover spies, and woo a winsome maiden, all the while remaining a presentable handsome Brit with a flare for witty comebacks.

If you can stand not having digital special effects enhance the performance of the actors, then you might enjoy this melodrama, despite a few “aw shucks!” moments.

2008, Complicated, Dark, Detective, Mystery Film, Quiet, Redemption, Slow

The Missing Person (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Hired to shadow a mysterious man leaving on a train from Chicago going to Los Angeles, heavy drinking private investigator John Rosow (Michael Shannon) discovers that the stranger is most definitely not who everyone thinks he is. With a large cash reward offered by the man’s wife dangling before his eyes, Rosow tangles with his own demons as he decides whether to turn the guy in for the money. Noah Buschel directs this moody film noir.

At first I thought this was a film in black and white. But the coloration seems to change as the film progresses and was pleasant in itself. As the film advances you learn more and more details, although often things are not always as they appear. Best not to read other reviews or plot explanations because they would spoil the surprises. All in all I enjoyed this unexpected find from NetFlix.

Michael Shannon was Dex in “Before the Devil Knows You are Dead” but to tell you the truth I never noticed him in any other film. Amy Ryan as Miss Charley was familiar to me as the wife in “Win Win” (a wonderful feel-good film). In 1999-2000 there was a TV series “Now and Again” that introduced Eric Close. In that series Margaret Colin played the caring mother Lisa Wiseman. However, in this film she poses as a prostitute who is really tracking Michael Shannon.

For me not all of the plot was crystal clear. If you would care to share, tell me:

  • What was the favor that Miss Charley did for John Rosow (Michael Shannon) ?
  • If the crooked lawyer wanted to keep Harold Fullmer dead, why did he not kill him ?
  • Why did John Rosow return all that cash to Harold’s wife ?
  • Did Harold understand Don Edgar ?

Slow moving, consistent, good acting, worth the time spent.

2005, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Drama, Love Story, Medical Theme, Mystery Film, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Suspense

The Jacket (2005)

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From NetFlix:

John Maybury’s masterful thriller stars Adrien Brody as Jack Starks, a Persian Gulf War veteran who has lost his memories to amnesia. When Jack is accused of a heinous killing, he realizes he must find a way to prove his innocence. Desperate to unearth clues about his past, he seeks a controversial treatment that allows him to go back in time — which turns out to be a heart-wrenching decision when he realizes he’s destined for tragedy.

Take a tablespoon of time-travel, suspense, quasi-sadism, mix together to get “The Jacket”. If you are claustrophobic, you might feel a bit squeamish watching the sadistic (but excellent) Kris Kristofferson subject Adrien Brody to some horrific “treatment” (put into a straight jacket and stuck into a morgue body compartment). Jennifer Jason Leigh plays a sympathetic nurse who can only weakly object to this treatment. While he is so confined, Jack Starks (Brody) travels in time to help and fall in love with Keira Knightley.

Details of the mystery are not too hard to follow and were for me involving enough to hold my attention. With these four such good actors this film is not a complete waste of time.

2006, Drama, Mystery Film, Plot Twist, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Suspense

Irresistible (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Sophie Hartley (Susan Sarandon) is convinced that her husband’s beautiful co-worker Mara (Emily Blunt) is stalking her. In Sophie’s mind, Mara covets her children, her husband and her life. But are her fears just the imaginings of a borderline paranoiac? In an attempt to prove her sanity, Sophie turns stalker herself — and makes a discovery that underscores her worst fears. Sam Neill co-stars in this tense psychological drama.

NetFlix’s summary is almost a spoiler. Still the suspense builds because more and more strange things happen to Sophie. When will the scales tip in her favor ? Or is she really mentally ill ?

Mara is so beautiful that we are just waiting for the husband Sam Neill to fall for her. Is Mara really involved in Sophie’s problems ?

Actually I figured out what was happening well before the “ta da !” revelation. Let me know how you fare.

Sam Neill first came to my attention when he was a mere 32 playing in “My Brilliant Career”. Twenty-seven years later, at age 59, he has held up well.

You might find the ending a bit too goody good good. But don’t let me dissuade you from watching a good yarn.

2009, British Mystery Series, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Gritty, Mystery Film, Plot Twist, Revenge, Suspense

Place of Execution (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Journalist Catherine Heathcote (Juliet Stevenson) solicits the help of investigator George Bennett (Lee Ingleby) for her documentary about the 1963 disappearance of a 13-year-old girl. But when Bennett abruptly stops cooperating, Heathcote begins to unravel some surprising truths. Now Heathcote may have to reevaluate her deep-rooted beliefs about justice. Based on the book by Val McDermid, this “Masterpiece” special co-stars Greg Wise.

2016 ADDENDUM: You can now stream this two-part film from Amazon Prime. You may be shocked when part one abruptly ends and shows screen credits. Just sit tight, because part two begins immediately after that.

Given the combination of BBC Masterpiece Contemporary and Juliet Stevenson you cannot go wrong with this intriguing, well-written, well-acted mystery. All the episodes are on the disk you get from NetFlix, comprising about 2.5 hours.

Never once did I suspect the truth of what really happened. Indeed the surprise ending really caught me off guard. You will have to decide about the moral ambiguity of the ending.

But I guarantee you, you will not be bored.

1986, Dark, Drama, Explicit sex, Gloomy, Grim, Mystery Film, Nudity, Religious Theme, Suspense, Torture, Violent

The Name of the Rose (1986)

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From NetFlix:

In this adaptation of Umberto Eco’s best-selling novel, 14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his young novice (Christian Slater) arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church’s authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence — which is considerable

Umberto Eco wrote his first novel The Name of the Rose in 1980. Eco is a well-known modern scholar.

Jean-Jaques Annaud, the director, has assembled a cast of the most unusual, distorted, exaggerated, cretinous faces I have ever seen. These faces are perfectly in tune with the dark, forbidding atmosphere of the Benedictine monastery in northern Italy. To keep all the characters straight, try reading the Wikipedia article on the film. Besides Sean Connery and Christian Slater, Ron Perlman as Salvatore is particularly memorable. Salvatore is the retarded hunchback whose garbled speech is a mixture of several languages. Whoever restructured and tonsured all those heads was a genius in the art of actor makeup.

Thanks to my Italian teacher ,Vincenzo Santone, for recommending this film. Of course, Vincenzo would like me to read the original Italian version, which is a challenge. Because I have not read the book, I do not know if it is so condemning of the Catholic church of the early 14th century as is the film. Certainly the film makes the church hierarchy into a pack of sadistic, ignorant, self-indulgent, greedy, superstitious cretins. Naturally, the Inquisition is cast as the fundamentalist, intolerant Taliban of the 14th century.

Here is one film that I could not stop watching.