Wed 22 Apr 2020
Movie Review: IN THE ELECTRIC MIST (2009).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[15] Comments
IN THE ELECTRIC MIST. Image Entertainment, 2009. Direct to DVD. Tommy Lee Jones (Lt. Dave Robicheaux), John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Steenburgen, Macdonald, Justina Machado, Ned Beatty, Levon Helm (General John Bell Hood, Buddy Guy. Screenwriters: Jerzy Kromolowski & Mary Olson-Kromolowski, based on the novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke. Director: Bertrand Tavernier.
Look at that cast, if you would. That’s quite an impressive ensemble for a movie that went straight to video. (It may have had one or two theatrical showings, but very few more, if any.) I will also tell you that this is probably the best adaptation of one of James Lee Burke’s novels about his long-time series character Lt. Dave Robicheaux of the New Iberia LA police department, that I can imagine.
It’s absolutely beautifully photographed, too. So. What went wrong? Well, for one thing, the story’s too complicated, that of two cases in one, first, that of a murdered prostitute, and secondly, and of significantly less immediacy, the finding of the body of a black prisoner, still in chains, shot to death as he was trying to escape some 40 years before, and Dave saw it happen.
It may be a case of following a book too closely. In all honesty, I’d stopped trying to follow the plot long before it ended. Nor is the rhythm exactly right. There are too many short scenes that can’t seem to muster the right amount of flow. Each scene is in miniature exactly right, but the pieces don’t fit together in a storytelling way. I will have to assume this makes sense, as I have been thinking this over and I have not come up with a better way to explain.
Tommy Lee Jones is pitch perfect as Robicheaux, a world weary alcoholic prone to bursts of violence, a man who drinks only Dr Pepper, but when someone laces it with LSD, he begins to envision a troop of Confederate soldiers in the area, commanded by a straight- but somewhat elusive talking General John Bell Hood, played by an also remarkably effective non-actor by the name of Levon Helm, whose name I am sure all of you know as one of the founding members of The Band.
An excellent a movie as I found this to be, and I have only begun to discuss many of the other things I liked about it, I can sympathize with the producers who had the job of trying to market it when the filming was over. I think it would have bombed in the movie theaters. I think it did all right on DVD and the various steaming services, though, and I’m glad I finally caught up with it.
April 22nd, 2020 at 4:58 pm
Steve,
After running the trailer I understand why this thing is a tough sell. Monotony reins. No fun at all. Not even a hint.
April 22nd, 2020 at 6:49 pm
As far as the trailer goes, you’re quite right, Barry. But the trailer is only two minutes of a two hour movie, and the pace is not nearly as frenetic as the trailer implies. In fact there are parts of it that are even too down right leisurely and slow — in true Louisiana style. Or the scenes with Robicheaux talking about such matters of life, death and honor with the general. I’ll have to go look. I don’t think the trailer includes any scenes with General Hood, and those are an essential part of he movie.
April 22nd, 2020 at 6:04 pm
In 1983 Levon Helm was startlingly effective as the flight crew chief and narrator in Phil Kaufman’s THE RIGHT STUFF.
One of my favorite moments in the film is when they’re sure Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard) has been killed “augering into” the Edwards hardpan. Suddenly the man with Helm points into the heat waves in the distance and says, “Isn’t that a man?” Helm, his voice cracking with emotion, says “You’re DAMN right it is!”
Meanwhile I agree all the elements in IN THE CONFEDERATE MIST are terrific but the film never gels and is sadly and surprisingly dull.
April 22nd, 2020 at 6:52 pm
I had to look this up to be sure, but another film Helm made that he was very good in was as Loretta Lynn’s father in COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER.
April 22nd, 2020 at 9:24 pm
It’s a great adaptation of Burke’s best book, but the book was virtually impossible to film and honestly I don’t think the script solves the problems involved as much as I liked it. I’m not sure how I would have felt if I hadn’t known the book, and been familiar with what I was getting into going in.
I kept feeling watching it that it would have worked better as a cable series and not a movie.
Fine cast and damn good try, but much as I liked it there was still something not quite right.
April 22nd, 2020 at 9:31 pm
A cable or streaming series? Yes, absolutely. That’s where it would have been a perfect fit, then or now.
April 22nd, 2020 at 9:32 pm
Amen to the comments, a good try at filming Burke’s novel but too much so in trying to follow the structure of the book. At that, I vaguely recall that it tried to streamline the narrative by eliminating a major character, Dave’s violent buddy Clete. What say you about the first Robicheaux movie, HEAVEN’S PRISONERS, with Alec Baldwin?
April 22nd, 2020 at 9:40 pm
Another movie I’ve missed so far, but after watching this one, I’ve already decided to go back and give it a try.
I hope others have seen it. Have you, Fred?
April 23rd, 2020 at 7:38 am
I remember hearing somewhere that Tavernier and the producer of this film had quarrelled, and that each had ended up with the right to create his own cut. This is the producer’s cut, the only one legally available in the USA. Tavernier’s cut was released in Europe: I haven’t seen it, but it is said to have a much better narrative flow than the American version.
April 23rd, 2020 at 8:10 am
Thus may explain something that has been puzzling me. The is a scene in the movie, as described in a synopsis I found on Wikipedia, that I do not remember seeing. It’s also a semi-crucial one that helps make the final scene make a lot more sense. The daughter is looking at some old Civil War photos in a book, and sees her father standing in the back of a posed portrait of some of the men and officers under General Hood’s command.
April 23rd, 2020 at 8:16 am
Steve, it’s been several years since I last saw HEAVEN’S PRISONERS. I recall that it was pretty good, and Baldwin a credible (younger) version of Burke’s character. The main publicity draw at the time was Teri Hatcher, who had moved to films for a briefly high-profile time from the LOIS AND CLARK television series.
April 23rd, 2020 at 8:24 am
I wish I didn’t have to admit this, but that makes just another reason to watch it.
April 23rd, 2020 at 10:37 am
Steve, Teri Hatcher’s appearance was especially memorable–at least for me-since it included a full frontal nude shot of a seductive Hatcher leaning over a second story wrought-iron balcony…
April 23rd, 2020 at 4:24 pm
It’s too late now, but I always thought Powers Boothe would have made a first-rate Dave Robicheaux.
April 23rd, 2020 at 8:17 pm
The Baldwin film is quite good and Hatcher, worth it even it wasn’t.