Veteran detective Dave Robicheaux (Tommy Lee Jones) is an alcoholic off the booze for the eyars
and living in New Iberia Parish. The booze calls to him every day and he goes to AA meetings. He starts to investigate murders
of young prostitutes while a boozing actor Elrod Sykes (Peter Sarsgaard) finds the skeleton out in the Louisiana bayou (during
the filming of a movie production shooting a Civil War film in the area). The skeleton may be connecte to the other murders
and calls up old memories of a black guy that Robicheaux saw killed as a boy. Robicheaux thinks a local mobster, "Baby Feet"
Balboni, may be involved in the killing of the prostitutes. The FBI send Agent Rachel Gomez to help (and make sure they can
build a case to put Balboni away). Someone is out to get Dave off the scent as he starts to wonder what is real (he even talks
to the ghost of General Bell Hood). Also he tells Elrod's longtime girlfriend to be careful.
Everything collides in any story by James Lee Burke. IN THE ELECTRIC MIST is a better adaptation of a James Lee Burke novel
than HEAVEN'S PRISONERS ever could be. Tommy Lee Jones taps into the character of Dave Robicheaux in ways that Alec Baldwin
never did. This character is the type that Jones breathes in. The plotting of the movie is like another one that Jones was
in, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. It just happens that Jones is better in this film (IN THE ELECTRIC MIST). The 102 minutes captures
the plot and characters in the novel. I have read several James Lee Burke novels and hoped for more movies ot be made out
of the novels. IN THE ELECTRIC MIST is a fantastic start. It even films in the actual towns featured in the books (Iberia
Parish and St. Martin's Parish). Also the adaptation plays on the post-Katrina times (and it works). A seasoned cast (even
Buddy Guy is the film) brings the characters from the book to life and filming in Louisiana is a boon to the local film industry.
IN THE ELECTRIC MIST is a taut and well-written film. I hope Tommy Lee Jones gets a chance to play Robicheaux again soon in
this DVD gem that some might blink and mis if they don't spot it or hear about it.
this DVD review is (c)3-6-2009 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
