Jesse Stone: Meurtre à Paradise

Like the film before this one, "Jesse Stone: Night Passage", "Death in Paradise" is a flawless, highly entertaining television movie that is so powerful and so realistic that it almost looks like something you would have to go see in the theaters. When a low-budget television show becomes that, then you know that you are really looking at a true masterpiece of film-making. I've seen big budget Hollywood mysteries that weren't as good as this. It stars Tom Selleck in another fabulous performance as Chief Jesse Stone, a troubled cop in a small town called Paradise on the eastern seaboard if I'm not mistaken.

What I liked a lot about "Death in Paradise" was how it didn't just focus on one single case by itself. Instead of just Tom Selleck and his team trying to solve the main mystery, the death of a girl, they also tries to handle a second case at the same time, which enhances the power and overall authentistic atmosphere of the movie.

I'll keep my review short and just end it by stating that "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" is like "Night Passage" and the sequel after this one, "Sea Change", a fantastic mystery movie and a delightful discovery to find. It's really impressive that a movie this magnificent could have been made on such a small budget, if it was. Most television movies are like that, but I can't be sure. If it was made on a higher budget, I can believe it. It's highly recommended by me.

Look, this isn't a great dramatic film. It won't have you on the edge of your seat. The script is clunky. The dialogue is stilted at times. It didn't transfer well from Robert Parker's novel to the screenplay. Tom is clearly still discovering who his character is.

Regardless of these things ... Tom Selleck is just a likeable guy. Women (and men) want to be with him. Guys want to be him. Since he is so well-liked and relatable, you'll find yourself ignoring flaws and going along for the ride.

This story doesn't rely on blood and guts here. The plot is actually driven by Tom's character's demons which is what really saves it.

Viola Davis could be in a toothpaste ad and still give an Oscar performance. That woman is a force.

This is a movie that's worth the time if all your looking for is a decent story with some decent acting that doesn't make you feel like completely wasted your time and you're tired of gratuitous violence, sex, and the deviant and dysfunctional.

A couple of truly sad cases come across the desk of police chief Jesse Stone of Paradise, Massachusetts. The first involves the appearance of the body of a 14 year old girl who had been in the water for a few weeks. The second is an ongoing domestic dispute between an abusive husband and his battered wife.

Patient and methodical as always Tom Selleck gets the job done. The domestic couple is John Diehl and Debra Christofferson who steals acting honors here in a scene with Selleck where she talks sadly about how few options she has in life other than stay in this relationship with this dirtbag. One of Selleck's officers is nearly killed because of the volatility of the situation.

The second after long search because she was never reported missing turns out to be Mae Whitman whom we see in flashback. She was the school tramp for the past couple of years. Again someone you can weep for because had she lived she would have had a really horrible life with lots of issues. Of no help is her parents especially her father who actually kicked her out of the house. She was also a few weeks pregnant.

Going through her relationships is what eventually leads Selleck to a conclusion he was supposed to arrive at. But actually it's the knot that came loose that allowed her body to rise is what ultimately leads him to her murderer.

A fine film with one bad slice of humanity for Stone to deal with.

I will start off by saying the overall simple style and dialogue of this made for TV movie make it a success. It is a guys version of Hallmark/Lifetime movies, with a length that is not too long to hold a viewers interest. As this is the third Jesse Stone movie, and the second that I have seen, I am glad that the supporting characters returned to keep the bond they have created up. The set locations are amazingly rural and real, although some of the cheesy freeze frames during commercial transitions could have been handled better.

The story remains as entertaining as Jesse Stone: Stone Cold. Stone's direct, no bull approach is cool to watch. The story line is a tough one to touch on national television and be appropriate, but they did a good job. The "plot twist" was simple and more of a "when are they going to realize what is going on" versus the "I have no idea, surprise me" type. The sub-stories about Stone's alcoholism could been left out, they didn't really contribute to anything. I am a fan of this series and can't wait to watch the rest, but I would not say it is worth buying on DVD. A single viewing should do ya.

I enjoyed watching the movie and have currently finished reading the next Jesse Stone book. Hooray for TV movies that are of the quality of big screen movies with well written, defined, true to life characters. Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone is my hero as he struggles with problems of work, alcohol, and loneliness as we all do. The story deals with the subject of child abuse and the resulting trauma that some people try to sweep under the rug or ignore rather than deal with which in this story results in a murder of an abused child. The other returning actors are great as the friends and co-workers who provide their own story lines interweaving with Selleck's.