Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Directors: Dick Lowry, Robert Harmon, Via Vision Entertainment.
Cast: Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, Kohn Sudduth, Gloria Reuben, Stephen McHattie, Robert Carradine, Saul Rubinek, William Devane, Luke Perry.
This three-disc Blu-ray collection features three highly-praised mystery movies from the Jesse Stone series in striking HD to include Innocents Lost, Lost In Paradise and Benefit of the Doubt.
Based on the best-selling novels by Robert B. Parker, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Selleck plays the tough and troubled chief of police of a small New England town.
Battling to keep his demons under control, Stone exposes killers, cover-ups, dark secrets and more in these hardened thrillers. There’s something appealing about the laconic pace at which the story unfolds. Selleck “nails the character”.
In Innocents Lost, compelling mystery continues with former Paradise police chief Jesse Stone (Selleck) investigating the suspicious death of a young girl, Cindy Van Aldan, whom he had once mentored.
Jesse has been forced to take voluntary retirement, but by bending the rules he breaks the law again investigating on his own … especially as the intolerable new police chief won’t look into Cindy’s drug-related death. Stone has a hyperactive sense of accountability and feels responsible for her death.
Respected and well-liked by his fellow police officers, Jesse has developed a good working relationship/friendship with the State Police Homicide Commander, Captain Healy (McHattie).
Reggie is the sleuth’s constant companion, a lovable Golden Retriever, who plays an important supporting role. He quietly watches over Stone, and the disapproval is obvious when he drinks.
In the next film the assumption is fair: police officers who appear to be corrupt must be accorded the Benefit of the Doubt, until proved otherwise.
This time round, Stone returns from involuntary retirement after police chief William Butler (Jeff Geddis), who replaced him, gets killed in a car explosion. Also dead is officer DeAngelo (Vito Rezza).
Stone had lost the job because the town council president Carter Hansen (Jeremy Akerman) wanted his son-in-law, Butler, to have the job.
Stone’s well-honed cop’s intuition kicks in after he’s forced to solve the crime on his own. The officers he first worked with have left the department. His deputy Luther ‘Suitcase’ Simpson (Sudduth) and long-time assistant Rose Gammon (Baker) have both moved on to other pursuits.
The much-liked, ‘temporary police chief’ sorts through a labyrinth of deceptive clues and concealed meanings as he attempts to solve a shocking and horrifying mob-related double homicide. Jesse uncovers evidence of police corruption that will certainly upset the community.
Lost in Paradise is described as the “best yet” of the Jessie Stone film series. Again, 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 (Sudduth), and asks him to investigate the girl’s home life.
Lost in Paradise finely balances the character strength with a genuine mystery. The best part is the pensive sadness Stone implements and, of course, the multi-layered and quietly charismatic performance given by Selleck.
Via Vision Entertainment has given PS News three Blu-ray disc sets of Jesse Stone: Triple Film Collection One to give away to our lucky readers. All you have to do to win is tell us the name of the place where Jesse Stone is the chief of police.
Entries should be sent to [email protected] by next Monday, 22 April 2019. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s
PS-sssst…! column next week.
