Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise

I suppose that's a ridiculous thing to say after what, 9 or 10 films, but you see one Jesse Stone movie, and you want to see others.

I'm a Tom Selleck fan, but as I've written in other reviews, I don't feel this is quite the role for him. He's too one-note. But I do think Selleck, as the main force behind this series, does a wonderful job. Everything is top drawer - the cast, the commitment, the writing, the photography.

And Jesse is an interesting guy, if depressed. The beginning of this particular film was very touching.

This was an excellent episode, maybe the best, as Jesse takes a consultant job in Boston and investigates some serial killings. They have the killer in custody, but he will only admit guilt to the first three, not the fourth. The fourth is identical to the others, and there were details not released to the press.

Jesse also takes on the cause of a young girl in Paradise whose mother is an alcoholic.

Jesse's loneliness, as always, is palpable, as he re-approaches Thelma (Gloria Reuben), only to find she's seeing someone.

Where Selleck gains some traction with this role is with whatever humor there is - there we see a flash of the charm that made him a star. He's always likable, and you're always on his side. Those are two of his gifts - while I think there's more to this character than he can bring, he makes it work for the audience.

Terrific episode.

The Jesse Stone movies are character studies and explore the relationships between the participants. If you're looking for Magnum type glamor and action, forget Jesse Stone.

Selleck is like a fine wine that has improved with age. Lost in Paradise is a quality made for TV movie with adept acting, writing and direction.

Jesse Stone is back on a case involving the death of an escort. Along the way he befriends new people and re-engages with old ones like Gino Fish. We are introduced to people that we come to care about and who are three dimensional.

It may seem slow to some, who want an action film that is faster than a speeding bullet, but for those of us who savor fine acting and characters with depth Lost in Paradise, like the other Jesse Stone films, will fill the bill.

I wasn't sure Hallmark could pull off a non-censored Jesse Stone (the ones repeated from CBS had the occasional editing), but they did. The story was unhurried, but that is to be expected of all the Jesse Stone tales. Tom Selleck and the Brandmans have continued the themes started years ago by Robert Parker. Tom Selleck is still at his best, and the supporting characters are great. And Steve (Ned the Dog) was wonderful. I'm really glad to have Jesse Stone back. We folks who don't fit the commercial demographic (we're the ones that like Longmire, too) still like quality television. But I also hope the producers get hold of a couple of the other Jesse Stone books, as they would make great episodes.

With a world hell bent on watching reality TV, the Jesse Stone stories are fiction that is like watching reality. The simplicity of the story makes it believable, and the simplicity of the characters make them believable. The characters have flaws and "character" but like the story, they aren't so complex as to "make you think" - but rather to make you sit back, take it in and enjoy watching the story unfold. Some may say the story is predictable, yet these have never been big plot twist "M. Night" movies. It helps a little to have seen the previous stories so you know some of the history of the characters, but I am sure you can enjoy it simply by seeing that some of the people already know one another, with small reminders of how. You will sit back and wish all policing could be done the Jesse Stone way - with respect, and a gentle but firm hand, and wish we could live in such a simple world. Jesse is a nice man, his dog is nice and the story is nice. Its the cop show you can watch with your grandmother.

Unlike the first reviewer, I felt the introspection and inner struggles portrayed by the plot through Tom Sellect were brilliant and compelling. The sub-plots with the dog, Steve, and the troubled young girl were engaging and poignant, adding much to deepen the characterization of Jesse and the overall enjoyment of the movie. I seldom rate movies above 6/10 but this is one of my favorite Jesse Stone movies, perhaps my top favorite, and it sits very high in my all-time movie ratings.

I'm very anxious to see if this quality and depth of character can prevail throughout the next 7 movies, which I absolutely will be sure to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and Tom Selleck's talent for writing and acting is superb!!