Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Robert Harmon, Via Vision Entertainment.
Cast: Tom Selleck, Mackenzie Foy, William Devane, Luke Perry.
Described as the “best yet” of the Jessie Stone film series, Tom Selleck is excellent in the title role as Jesse Stone, chief of police in the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts.
There are, however, a few intriguing intersecting threads of narrative in this film.
To alleviate the boredom of the lack of any serious crimes in his home territory, Stone accepts a position as an unpaid consultant with the Massachusetts State Police Homicide Unit. Working on case files given to him by Lt. Sydney Greenstreet (Leslie Hope), Stone takes special interest in investigating the murder of an apparent fourth victim of a brutal serial killer. The killer slashed and disemboweled his victims while they were still alive.
Perry plays the jailed killer, named Richard, who is known as the ‘Boston Ripper’. He proudly admits to the first three murders, but maintains he did not commit the fourth. Stone does not believe he killed the fourth victim, Mavis Davies and discusses the case with his psychiatrist, Dr. Dix (Devane), who is also a former cop.
After encountering a 13-year-old girl named Jenny (Foy) smoking marijuana in a park, the police chief takes an interest in the troubled girl’s welfare. He calls his friend and colleague, Paradise Police Officer Luther ‘Suitcase’ Simpson (Kohl Sudduth), and asks him to investigate the girl’s home life.
Based on the characters of Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone novels, the film’s screenplay is co-written by Selleck and Michael Brandman.
Lost in Paradise finely balances the character strength with a genuine mystery.
There’s strange comfort in the muted photography, the haunting music, the unhurried pace. As usual, the best part is the pensive sadness Stone implements and, of course, the multi-layered and quietly charismatic performance given by Selleck.
You could be the lucky winner of one Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise DVD if you correctly tells us the name of the town where Jesse Stone works as the chief of police.
Entries should be sent to [email protected] by next Monday, 24 September 2018. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column next week.
