Category Archives: Detective

1990, Comedy, Cooking and food, Detective, Mayhem, Nudity, Sex Scenes, Violent

Miami Blues (1990)

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From NetFlix:

Veteran criminal Junior (Alec Baldwin), just out of prison, moves to Miami to get a fresh start; right after landing at the airport, though, he inadvertently causes the death of a Hare Krishna, sending a weather-beaten Miami detective (Fred Ward) after him. Stealing the cop’s gun, badge and false teeth, Junior embarks on a crime spree and moves in with a former hooker (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who longs to settle down. But can they outrun the law?

Alec Baldwin is probably the best known of the four Baldwin brothers (the others being Stephen, William, and Daniel). In this film Alec is a mere child of 32 years. Currently he is best known for his role in “30 Rock” at the tender age of 53. His appearance has changed somewhat over those 21 years, to say the least.

This crazy, funny, unpredictable, and violent film predates “Pulp Fiction” by four years and could easily have been the inspiration for John Travolta’s film. Junior (Alec Baldwin) is an intelligent, clever, charming, and resourceful thief, liar, and cold-blooded killer. If you can ignore the violence, you might really enjoy watching Junior slip out of one bad situation after the other. There are enough sight gags, sudden twists, and comic understatements to keep anyone interested.

Immediately after getting out of one of his many stays in prison he hooks up with Jennifer Jason Leigh (who is 28 years old in the film). She played Pauline in “Margot at the Wedding”. Her character Susie Waggoner is a sweet, naive hooker (and college student) who really wants to be a homemaker and who thinks she has found a wonderful life partner. Stick around!

Fred Ward, who has nearly 70 performances under his belt, lends comic relief especially as concerns his false teeth. His role as the stereotypical lonely, dedicated detective whose personal life is a shambles is pitch perfect.

Another reviewer of this film said “There’s also a good soundtrack, capped off at the end by Norman Greenbaum’s classic ‘Spirit In The Sky’ .”

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.

2004, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Police Story, Suspense, Violent

Cellular (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Ryan (Chris Evans) is driving in his car when his cell phone rings. But when he answers, there’s a stranger (Kim Basinger) on the other end of the line who’s desperate to get someone to help her, her husband and her son escape from the madman (Jason Statham) who’s abducted them. If Ryan fails to act quickly, innocent people will be killed. But his cell phone battery is low — and he has no idea where the helpless family is.

With the bent LAPD cop Jason Statham as your enemy you probably want to be really careful. (NetFlix is wrong, his character is NOT a madman). Kim Basinger (“Nine 1/2 Weeks””) we all know. Chris Evans (Jimmy in “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond”) at the time of filming was 30 years old and still looked like a kid. He also plays in the 2009 movie “Push”. William Macy as the good cop adds his usual brand of offbeat humor.

Some lesser actors are worth mentioning. Rick Hoffman you have seen a lot but probably don’t know his name. In this film he adds comic relief as a really arrogant lawyer whose Porche figures in the plot. He played Chase Chapman in “Samantha Who ?

It never fails to amaze me how often Richard Burgi pops up. He played the husband Craig Martin in the film. You may have seen him as Philip Collier in 18 episodes of “Days of our Lives”. He played a wife abuser in an episode of “Law and Order: SVU”.

Intense energy, clever and original action scenes and plots, and some comic relief made this film for me a fun experience. Somehow Ryan (Chris Evans) kept coming up with novel ways to foil the bad guys.

2010, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Dark, Detective, Grim, Gritty, Kidnapping, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Luther (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Idris Elba (“The Wire”) stars in this powerful television drama as Det. John Luther, whose personal demons complicate the chase as he searches for the evidence to convict mass murderer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), who is also his closest confidante. Luther’s marriage to the long-suffering Zoe (Indira Varma) is equally complicated, and after she leaves him, he pours even more frenetic energy into the pursuit of London’s most nefarious criminals.

So grim at times that wife Kathy left the room during certain scenes, this well-done detective series will hold your attention. Each episode is self-contained although throughout the entire series the super intelligent and equally psychotic Alice meddles with every plot. We almost did not get past the initial episode because Luther is seemingly so out of control it was messy to watch. However, we did continue and it did pay off.

It seems to me that TV series such as “Law and Order: Special Victims”, “Criminal Minds”, and the other wannabees are competing to be every more gory and explicit. In this respect “Luther” is no exception. In one episode the sadist kidnaps a mother, stores her alive in a freezer, drains her blood, and freezes her to death (which is where Kathy fled from the TV screen). Is this entertainment? At least NOT FOR CHILDREN !

And to think I enjoyed the series !

2010, Acceptable Trash, Car Chase, Comedy, Conspiracy, Cynical, Detective, Police Story, Vulgar

The Other Guys (2010)

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From NetFlix:

While an elite pair of New York City cops (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson) nabs headlines for their amazing heroics, fellow boys in blue Allen (Will Ferrell) and Terry (Mark Wahlberg) toil in obscurity as lowly desk jockeys, until a big break finally gives them a chance to tackle real police work. Rob Riggle, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton and Steve Coogan co-star in this action-packed comedy directed by Adam McKay.

Even NetFlix suggests on their page for this film that the R13 rating is really iffy for 13 year olds. Much of the script is just plain sophomoric or embarrassingly coarse. That being said, through much of the film I just laughed my head off. Clever sight gags always work for me. But more than that, it is the inane and unexpected dialog written for Ferrell and Wahlberg that was at times really very funny. Wahlberg is more or less the straight man to Ferrell’s off the wall speeches. Could any other actor have substituted for Ferrell (after all, it’s the script that counts) or does he have some special comic talent ?

There is a serious subtext running throughout. Using satire, the film is poking fun at the current corrupt financial culture of the United States. Names like AIG and Goldman Sachs keep popping up. Pay attention to the final credits which present an animated lecture showing just how much the financial CEOs profited from the losses of the “little people” (that’s most of us, folks!).

2010, Acceptable for children, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Drama, Love Story, Prison, Suspense

The Next Three Days (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is sent to jail on murder charges she fervidly denies, college professor John Brennan (Russell Crowe) comes up with a plan to break her out by meticulously plotting the ultimate escape — despite the fact that he’s never committed a crime in his life. Writer-producer Paul Haggis (Crash) also directs this remake of the French film Pour Elle by Fred Cavayé. Liam Neeson and Brian Dennehy co-star.

An old saying is “The Devil is in the Details”, and indeed this is a film about a desperate, intelligent man calmly plotting to extract his wife from prison without her realizing what he is planning. Frankly, I had to suspend disbelief because it does not seem possible that the character John Brennan could have successfully executed his scheme. Of course I was rooting for the family to escape from the United States, justifying my cheering for the bad guy because after all the wife was supposed to be innocent. Indeed that is one of the threads of the story: did she or did she not murder that woman ? Watch carefully at the very end where the detective who originally prosecuted her is ruminating over the murder case and … but I don’t want to spoil a really exasperating and clever detail.

Russell Crowe plays Russell Crowe: “Speak softly and carry a big stick” (attributed to Theodore Rossevelt). Russell should lose some weight.

Acceptable for children. Ignore the impossibilities and just enjoy the chase!

2006, Car Chase, Child Molestation, Complicated, Crime, Detective, Drama, Frame someone for a crime, French, Gangs, Kanopy streaming, Lawyers, Love Story, Suspense, Torture, Violent

Tell No One (2006)

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From NetFlix:

Eight years ago, pediatrician Alexandre Beck (François Cluzet) was the prime suspect in his wife’s murder. He’s put all that behind him, but now that two dead bodies have been found near his home, he’s suspected of wrongdoing once again. The case takes an unexpected turn when he receives an anonymous e-mail showing his wife alive — and eight years older — instructing him to “tell no one.” Kristin Scott Thomas co-stars.

Second Review – August 2021

NetFlix no longer offers this film. Instead you can stream this 2 hour 11 minute film from Kanopy (free from your local library).

Harlan Coben always writes wonderful suspense mystery stories. Many of his stories, including this one, have been made into films. In this particular adaptation it seemed to me that the final and very satisfying conclusion came a little too easily.

Somehow I have the impression that for the most part American films are noisy and French films are quiet. At least in this case, this excellent French intrigue film is fairly quiet, with the exception of some foot pursuit escape sequences and a highway pile-up.

What starts out as a simple murder mystery gets more and more complicated. Eventually one character especially tells us all the details in a way we can understand. But if you need a recap you could read the Wikipedia summary.

French with subtitles. Well worth the time spent watching.

2006, Based on true facts, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Military, Nudity, War

In the Valley of Elah (2006)

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From NetFlix:

When exemplary soldier Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) disappears after returning from Iraq, his concerned father (Tommy Lee Jones, in an Oscar-nominated role) — a retired sergeant — works with gutsy police Det. Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to investigate. Writer-director Paul Haggis based his script on events reported by Mark Boal in a Playboy magazine article. James Franco, Josh Brolin, Jason Patric and Susan Sarandon also star.

As you will learn in the film, the valley of Elah is where David killed Goliath.

Having seen a mediocre film starring Tommy Lee Jones (In the Electric Mist (2008)), I was pleased that this film, also starring Tommy Lee Jones, was so amazing.

Let there be no doubt: this is an anti-war film. But it is perhaps the most subtle anti-war film I have ever seen. There is no preaching, rather the characters speak for themselves, and it is a scary spectacle indeed.

For me the most unsettling moment comes when Corporal Penning (played to perfection by Wes Chatham) non-confesses to a horrible crime. That is to say, he describes in a completely non-emotional manner what he did and then adds my pet-peeve phrase “Sorry for your loss”. Other reviews have labeled this character as having evolved in Iraq into a sociopath suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

To understand the factual basis for the film, you should read the Wikkipedia article.

Other themes abound in the film: sexist resentment toward Detective Sanders (admirably played by Charlize Theron), father-son relations, military cover-ups, turf wars, etc.

Often I complain of the style of acting in which the actor does not emote, but rather expects the audience to guess what that character is thinking at that moment. Call it lazy acting. However, this style is used to great effect in this film and avoids the flaw of preaching.

Please enjoy something that Theron does well, namely: she is constantly battling male sexism, bureaucratic cover-ups, etc. But in several scenes she summons her courage and speaks out with a steely stare. However, just as soon as her adversary turns away, you can see her insecurity steal back into her eyes. Wonderful! Watch her interact not only with her pension-oriented boss but also with a powerful confrontation with Lt. Kirklander (Jason Patric).

And yes it took me some time to convince myself that it really was Jason Patric playing Lt. Kirklander as a military bureaucrat intent on protecting the army from bad publicity. Time flies!

Primarily because it is done so well (and secondarily because it addresses the effect of war on our young military) I urge you to see this film.

2008, Crime, Detective, Drama, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent

In the Electric Mist (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Detective Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself swimming in a murky sea of corruption, deception and lies when he probes the connection between a rash of murders and a notorious New Orleans mobster (John Goodman) — and discovers secrets that were better left untold. With Robicheaux’s family, and his life, in serious danger, can he stem the rising tide of blood and bring justice back to the bayou?

If it were not for some notable actors such as Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, and Mary Steenburgen, this ordinary B-film would not be worth watching. The only unusual theme is that Robicheaux is a reformed alcoholic who wants to get Sarsgaard into Alcoholics Anonymous. Better to watch a Law and Order episode.

2009, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Rape, Revenge, Suspense, Swedish, Violent

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Third in a trio of films inspired by Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy,” this thriller follows feisty computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she finds herself hospitalized, suspected of murder and targeted for death by thugs. Meanwhile, Lisbeth’s journalist pal, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), crusades to prove her innocence. Daniel Alfredson directs this film that also stars Lena Endre and Jacob Ericksson

My NetFlix version offered not only English subtitles but also English dubbing.

Although the third book in Larsson’s trilogy seemed procedural and not as exciting as the first two books, the third film was not boring. Probably for me what kept the tension going was the need to see Salander vindicated. In a certain sense it all seemed to work out too easily. At the very least, seeing Dr. Teleborian get his comeuppance was very satisfying.

For the most part the film was faithful to the book while omitting certain unimportant details. For example, her wounded father, Zalachenko, does not roam the hospital hall trying to get at Salander. Nor could the treatment of her clandestine use of technology in her hospital room be so elaborate.

Only in one instance do I object: without giving anything away, in the last part of the film Niedermann is given a different solution from that planned by Larsson in order to continue the series.

If you’ve seen the first two installments, how can you not watch the conclusion ?