In the Electric Mist (2009)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Brilliant and touching

Absolutely Fantastic

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

As an avid fan of the Dave Robicheaux novels, I consider "In the Electric Mist..." one of the weakest because it so busy with subplots and less-than-credible ghost sequences. Nevertheless, with a first rate director like Tavernier and a world class cast including Jones, Steenburgen and Goodman, I certainly expected greatness. But either the script writer totally failed at the critical task of sculpting out the excess and focusing the story lines into clear trajectories, or else the editor was pressured to deliver a 1 hour 40 minute film out of 3 hours of material. Whichever it was, the result is an engrossing mess. The performances, cinematography, and Cajun-noir atmosphere are intoxicating. But heaven forbid you try to understand the many story lines without having read the book. With so much plot crammed into a relatively short film, we are stuck with truncated scenes and an oddly staccato rhythm that makes for unsatisfying storytelling.I'm glad I watched it. The next Robicheaux book I read will be richer for the images of the bayou country and Jones's embodiment of Dave's complex, flawed character. But I'm frustrated by the thought of the film it could have been.

I liked this movie overall, but it comes off as a well-made TV or cable production instead of a major motion picture. It's kind of nebulous, but it seems to be something about the production values that I can't quite put a finger on, but it just doesn't seem quite worthy of the big screen. I'm sure the book was better, but I really don't read any fiction anymore--I just watch filmed adaptations and listen to the complaints about how much better the book was. The trivial supernatural element was pretty lame and unnecessary (maybe worked better in the book), but the plot was solid and was driven by character and not action, which I generally prefer. As usual and expected, Tommy Lee Jones and the other well- established actors delivered decent performances. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a slower, more low-key thriller/mystery without a lot of in-your-face violence and gore that is so typical nowadays.

The major problem was the script, which was all over the place. Maybe editing would have helped, but I don't think that skillful editing would fix a fundamental script problem. What was the point? Which plot was the main plot? There were so many things going on: a 1965 racial murder, a current murder of a prostitute, alcoholics, and a film being made about the Civil War. I think that there was one character who was involved in both murders, and I finally realized that Peter Sarsgaard was playing Gen. Hood in the film being made.If this was supposed to be a mystery, there were too many distractions along the way as clues were being dispensed.The character of "the real" Gen. Hood and his interaction with Dave was awkward and sometimes confusing (i.e., the church scene).I think all of the "major" cast members did a fine job, though most were underutilized. Mary Steenburgen was way too good for the very little she was given to do. Ditto Ned Beatty. John Goodman was great at slimy menace, but his involvement in the plot was almost unnecessary.I believe that many of the local cast members could have been much, much better had they been told exactly what information they were supposed to be saying, and then be allowed to improvise. Perhaps this is a failure of direction rather than writing. In the film, too many characters sounded like they were reciting. It's true that they were not skilled actors, but local amateurs don't need to sound artificial, c.f., Beasts of the Southern Wild.Here are a few personal notes. The film was released in 2009, and I was not aware of it until today. I was born and raised in New Iberia, where the film is set (and where it was filmed), and the rest of my life has been spent in New Orleans. This film is probably the most extensive and best cinematic use of locations in Cajun Country. I could not pick out any scene which appeared to have been filmed on a sound stage. The film seems like a missed opportunity. I don't think the film had any significant pre-video release in the United States, and unfortunately, I can see why.

Jones picks up where Alec Baldwin left off, playing James Lee Burke's Louisiana-based detective Dave Robicheaux. This time around, Robicheaux is hot on the trial of a killer of hookers as well as the killer of a black man decades ago. He soon comes to believes the deaths are linked, and is guided along the way by a long-dead Confederate officer (Helm). He also is aided by a female FBI agent. The entire cast, which also includes John Goodman as one of the bad guys and Mary Steenbergen as Robicheaux's wife, is excellent. However, this is not your typical slam-bang whodunit but more of a character study. Shot on location, post-Hurricane Katrina, it absolutely oozes atmosphere and a sense of authenticity. It is for the most part very low-key. I understand there were post-production problems, and it shows in the choppy editing. Stil, worth a look.