L'Affaire des bijoux volés

An ex-con donut shop owner (Kirby Morrow) framed for robbing a jewellery store. Claire takes his case, while her mother Joanna (Wendy Malick) returns from New York City having been wrongly fired from her law firm and tries to join her daughter's firm. They tend to clash as Claire Darrow, a lawyer, fights for what's right, regardless of whether it makes her a dime, and Joanna would rather make a profit.

The contrast between mother ( Wendy Malick) and daughter and their conflict is really well done, and makes a good subplot. There's no murder, but the case is adequately interesting, but I liked the drama and humour the most.

I watch Hallmark Mystery Movies all the time and I like them, though they are always very slow. This was different. It was fast paced and very funny, almost as if without trying, and it didn't feel like a Hallmark Channel movie, it was better. The actors Kimberly Williams Paisley, Wendi Malick, and Tom Cavanaugh were all great and carried the story and the humor very well. I will totally be watching the sequel when it comes out.

This pilot for a proposed Hallmark Channel series features a strong cast. Though it is listed under the Crime, Drama, and Mystery genres, it has strong comedic undertones, which has a lot to do with its stars: Kimberly Williams-Paisley ("According to Jim"), Wendie Malick ("Just Shoot Me") and Tom Cavanaugh ("Burn Notice").

Williams-Paisley plays Claire Darrow (I wonder where they found that name?), a small-town attorney who has revived the law firm formerly run by her father. Malick plays mother Joanna, a successful New York City attorney who used to handle big cases, but is now down on her luck and jobless, looking for a place to land. Cavanaugh plays Miles Strasberg, a pragmatic attorney who faces Claire in court, despite his attraction to her. He asks her out every week, and she always declines.

The pilot revolves around a smash-and-grab jewelry burglary. When a local merchant is accused of the crime, Claire defends him. Miles thinks he has an open and shut case, but Claire's instincts tell her the guy is innocent.

As a crime procedural, the writing is mediocre. Claire is not shown to be insightful or decisive in defense of her client. But she is caring and empathetic, which is more important in a Hallmark offering.

This first episode sets up conflicts between Claire, her mother and her daughter. Years of resentment and the teenage temperament must be overcome if these three are to coexist in harmony. This could have made a good series---especially given the acting talent---but Hallmark instead made some follow-up films in subsequent years.

Something is "off" with these movies, that something is Tom Cavanaugh. There's no chemistry between Cavanaugh and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. He's not quirky, he's annoying!

The show would have been so much better if Kimberly's character had no love interest. The focus should have been on the mysteries, along with her employees and her family. She's rebuilding her life, her relationship with her mother and her family's law firm, the character of Miles wasn't needed.

However, since it's Hallmark and therefore, a romantic interest is more or less mandatory, they could have had different potential suitors some of the episodes. No need for a regular and no need for that dweeb Miles.

This tv pilot/movie was well done and set up for a running series. The characters are likable and real. The plot moved along nicely. The direction was exeptional. I keep searchng for more episodes to see if it's been picked up. I'm intrigued by the characters and their possible development. This series could use more diverse characters, however, it's rare to see something this well directed/photographed on tv anymore. Either it's done cheaply with poor output or it's a mega production with expensive cast. This production is well crafted, and one of those potentially beloved series that became another "missed opportunity" by Hollywood.