In the Electric Mist

This adaptation of James Lee Burke's bestselling novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead is an interesting misfire due to its terrific cast and crew. Displaying his customary rumpled charm, Tommy Lee Jones stars as Burke's reformed-alcoholic detective Dave Robicheaux, investigating a series of murders of young women in the Louisiana bayou country. John Goodman does considerable scenery-chewing as a goateed crime boss with a decided interest in steering Robicheaux off the trail. Mary Steenburgen (as Dave's wife Bootsie, whose fascinating backstory is glossed over), Peter Sarsgaard, Kelly Macdonald, Ned Beatty, James Gammon, Pruitt Taylor Vince, John Sayles, and five-time Grammy winner Buddy Guy are also along for the ride. Unfortunately, the screenwriters assume that viewers will be familiar with Burke's five previous Robicheaux novels and therefore don't bother to introduce key characters or detail their relationships with the detective. Also, Jones' first-person narration—standard stuff for detective movies—is poorly used here, occasionally as a transitional device that eliminates scenes we really should be seeing. Famed director Bertrand Tavernier unfortunately goes awry in his handling of this unnecessarily muddled thriller, an essentially direct-to-DVD release that is not quite as satisfying as the average made-for-cable whodunit. Not recommended. (E. Hulse)