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Product Description
New Iberia, Louisiana. Detective Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) is on the hunt for a serial killer who preys on young women. Driving home from another gruesome crime scene, Dave meets glamorous Hollywood star Elrod Sykes (Peter Sarsgaard). Sykes is in town shooting his new movie, with backing from local crime kingpin Baby Feet Balboni (John Goodman). He tells Dave he saw a body lying in a swamp - the decomposed corpse of a black man in chains. The discovery brings memories hurtling out of Dave's past. He senses the two cases are linked. But as Dave gets closer to the murderer, the murderer gets closer to Dave and his family...
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
A lot of disappointment has been expressed about this film - which I find baffling - because even as a complete novice to James Lee Burke's books or the director's past works - I loved it. I really did. I found "In The Electric Mist" to be a very compelling story - powerful acted and cleverly told.
Once again Tommy Lee Jones as the haggard and troubled lead - just stuns - his depth and power fill the screen absolutely all of the time. Credit must also go to the uniformly superb supporting cast too (even if in some cases they don't get a lot to do) - John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty, Kelly MacDonald, Pruitt Taylor-Vince, Justina Machado and even Buddy Guy (the blues guitar player) - all good. And then there's Levon Helm of the famous Americana rock group THE BAND as the ghost of a Confederate General - adding extraordinary old-world gravitas and mystery to the piece.
The Blu Ray print is BEAUTIFUL too - even in the dark interiors - but especially in the outdoor swamp shots and town houses. Disappointingly though, there are precious few extras.
Bertrand Tavernier's film isn't a masterpiece for sure, and it's perhaps just a little 'too' in love with its own gumbo and Louisiana scenery, but I found it immensely moving in places - and awkwardly real - especially on the core subject of racism and its still lingering malevolent presence (the title of this review is a rumination by one of the characters on that subject when a dead body from 1965 comes back to haunt him).
The film reminded me of John Sayles at his best ("Passion Fish" for instance) - full of heart and great observation - which is high praise indeed...
I'd say ignore the so-so reviews and put it high on your rental list. Recommended.
Once again Tommy Lee Jones as the haggard and troubled lead - just stuns - his depth and power fill the screen absolutely all of the time. Credit must also go to the uniformly superb supporting cast too (even if in some cases they don't get a lot to do) - John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty, Kelly MacDonald, Pruitt Taylor-Vince, Justina Machado and even Buddy Guy (the blues guitar player) - all good. And then there's Levon Helm of the famous Americana rock group THE BAND as the ghost of a Confederate General - adding extraordinary old-world gravitas and mystery to the piece.
The Blu Ray print is BEAUTIFUL too - even in the dark interiors - but especially in the outdoor swamp shots and town houses. Disappointingly though, there are precious few extras.
Bertrand Tavernier's film isn't a masterpiece for sure, and it's perhaps just a little 'too' in love with its own gumbo and Louisiana scenery, but I found it immensely moving in places - and awkwardly real - especially on the core subject of racism and its still lingering malevolent presence (the title of this review is a rumination by one of the characters on that subject when a dead body from 1965 comes back to haunt him).
The film reminded me of John Sayles at his best ("Passion Fish" for instance) - full of heart and great observation - which is high praise indeed...
I'd say ignore the so-so reviews and put it high on your rental list. Recommended.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film was made with love and care. It didn't reach us that way. It was butchered for the DVD release, almost 20 minutes gone out of it. I'm amazed that a product can be put on the market in this condition, and amazed that nobody saw the difference between the version that was first shown, and what's on the disc. And worse, padded out with crappy trailers.
Most other products that short-changed on that scale, would be liable to prosecution under a couple of Acts.
Most other products that short-changed on that scale, would be liable to prosecution under a couple of Acts.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Vinman666
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Blu-ray
My wife picked this film up because of the bargain price and we watched it across Saturday and Sunday night. Across two nights? Yes, because she fell asleep first time around but stayed awake on the next night while I struggled to do so. The film is shot very well, giving a real sense of its Louisiana location, and Tommy Lee Jones gives a typically committed performance as the alcoholic Lt. Dave Robicheaux. It's a slow-burning story, revolving around Robicheaux, his family and a murder he witnessed many years earlier. Unfortunately it's often so slow it's practically stationary.
Several deep south themes are interwoven: slavery and racism, the Civil War, blackmail and corruption, gumbo and Dr Pepper (eh?). There's no denying the atmosphere created, and the acting is generally strong though blues legend Buddy Guy seems to be reading off an autocue (at least he gets a chance to play guitar later). But Southern Comfort, Deliverance or Mississippi Burning have equal atmosphere and are much better films.
The ending has to be one of the biggest anti-climaxes since Scatman Crothers' arrival at the Overlook Hotel (in The Shining). I won't spoil it but suffice to say I laughed and it's not intended to be funny. Some other reviews have mentioned that 20 minutes have been cut from this version and, despite not having seen the full version, I can imagine that as some strands of the story are under-developed.
The blu-ray begins with a series of trailers for straight to DVD chick flicks, all of which are in (sub)standard definition. Fortunately the movie is in HD and is pretty sharp though has signs of over-sharpening during the transfer. The cinematography is beautiful though and it's a shame that the pace or re-editing of the story lets it down.
Several deep south themes are interwoven: slavery and racism, the Civil War, blackmail and corruption, gumbo and Dr Pepper (eh?). There's no denying the atmosphere created, and the acting is generally strong though blues legend Buddy Guy seems to be reading off an autocue (at least he gets a chance to play guitar later). But Southern Comfort, Deliverance or Mississippi Burning have equal atmosphere and are much better films.
The ending has to be one of the biggest anti-climaxes since Scatman Crothers' arrival at the Overlook Hotel (in The Shining). I won't spoil it but suffice to say I laughed and it's not intended to be funny. Some other reviews have mentioned that 20 minutes have been cut from this version and, despite not having seen the full version, I can imagine that as some strands of the story are under-developed.
The blu-ray begins with a series of trailers for straight to DVD chick flicks, all of which are in (sub)standard definition. Fortunately the movie is in HD and is pretty sharp though has signs of over-sharpening during the transfer. The cinematography is beautiful though and it's a shame that the pace or re-editing of the story lets it down.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as I expected.
I really like Tommy Lee Jones as an actor, and have read all the 'Dave Robicheaux' novels, but this somehow didn't quite gel with me. (It wasn't my favourite book either ! Read more
Published 21 days ago by asiana88
4.0 out of 5 stars
cops and zydeco
The title is a bit mystifying, presumably for Americans, as with the Walt Whitman line, "I sing the body electric", the word electric has slightly more spiritual connotations than... Read more
Published 1 month ago by tallmanbaby
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Film that captures the spirit of the novel
James Lee Burke's novels featuring Dave Robichaux have always cried out to be filmed. Alec Baldwin was the first to essay this feat with "Heaven's Prisoners" and it... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Louis Lince
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Film
Any film with Tommy Lee Jones tends to be a good one, this does not let the viewer down can totally recommend it.
Published 7 months ago by ian
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent crime detective thriller...
So many reviews here that were so poles apart, actively deriding or applauding it, that they made my head spin! It's only a film, I told myself... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Tim Kidner
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a fantastic movie
Great cast
Great story
Great acting
One to watch and re-watch
Breathtakingly good. Read more
Great story
Great acting
One to watch and re-watch
Breathtakingly good. Read more
Published 11 months ago by fat man on a bicycle
3.0 out of 5 stars
musics the best of the film
i thought it was slow,not much of a story but intresting and i love the accent and the music(the best for me). Read more
Published 13 months ago by soldier blue
1.0 out of 5 stars
If you love Robicheaux, you'll hate this.
I've read all of Burke's Robicheaux novels, and loved every one of them. I'm also a long-time Tommy Lee Jones fan, but he's totally wrong for the part of Dave. Read more
Published 15 months ago by James N. Beatson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I wholeheartedly agree with the criticism of this dvd. I love JLB's books and picked this up out of curiosity. Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. Spencer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a view
This was a good film, well acted, good story. Could watch it again and see things you missed first time through.
Published 21 months ago by Rob Rave
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