jimmullinaux Reviews

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - Highly Recommended

[10/10 · 30 September 2017]

This delightful and entertaining mystery drama made its debut on Australia's ABC-TV in 2012. Based on Kerry Greenwood's novels, the series follows the adventures of Phryne Fisher, a 1920's English heiress, and her devoted companion, Dorothy. Essie Davis is marvelous as the self-assured and free-thinking Phryne, who engages merrily in a number of torrid one- night affairs when she's not otherwise solving murders. While all the production values are generally excellent, the standout feature must be Phryne's stunning wardrobe. It is said her costumes have inspired numerous 1920s look-alike parties. If you enjoy good mysteries in stylish settings with colorful characters aplenty, then this clever series will surely satisfy. My wife and I have watched this series many times and have discovered something new and entertaining with each viewing. Highly recommended!

Murder in Suburbia (2004–2005)

Murder In Suburbia - Highly Recommended!

[10/10 · 29 September 2017]

This entertaining 2004 British mystery series takes place in the fictional English town of Middleford. Caroline Catz plays Inspector Kate Ashurst and Lisa Faulkner plays Sergeant Emma Scribbins, two well-dressed, wise-cracking, female detectives who must face a variety of grisly murders in the well-manicured suburban homes of Middleford, but who also are facing an unmarried middle age squarely in the mirror. The crimes they solve are clever and bizarre enough to make them interesting, and the suspects are just trendy and snobby enough that you just know they must be Mac users. Kate's romantic subplot centers on her hapless pursuit of their handsome supervisor, Chief Inspector Sullivan, played by Jeremy Sheffield. Emma's love life is a bit more varied with any number of odd sorts, all having dubious qualities. My wife and I have viewed this series many times and find something new and enjoyable with each viewing. Highly recommended!

Mr & Mrs Murder (2013)

Mr & Mrs Murder - Highly Recommended

[10/10 · 22 September 2017]

It appears the Austrailians are every bit as good at crafting entertaining mysteries as their as their English cousins. A case in point is "Mr & Mrs Murder", a light-hearted Austrailian cozy mystery originally aired in 2013. Shaun Micallef plays Charlie Buchanan and Kat Stewart plays his wife Nicola. Together they operate a crime scene cleaning service, making them ideally suited for finding evidence and clues overlooked by the police. Micallef and Stewart imbue their characters with enough quirks and foibles that makes them entertaining and just slightly over-the-top. My wife and I have viewed this series many times and find something new and enjoyable with each viewing. Highly recommended!

Rosemary & Thyme (2003–2006)

Rosemary & Thyme - Highly Recommended

[22 September 2017]

This delightful and entertaining 2003 Brian Eastman (ITV) production features Pam Ferris as Laura Thyme, a former policewoman whose husband has recently left her for a younger woman. Joining her is Felicity Kendal as Rosemary Boxer, a university professor whose boyfriend, in the first episode, not only leaves her but has her fired from her teaching position as well. Initially these two bond over their mutually unfortunately love lives, then they learn they both have a passion for gardening. As you might expect, in the first episode they stumble upon and help to solve a juicy murder mystery. Thus is born our mystery- solving gardeners. The series is set in a number of lovely real-life gardens throughout England and Europe, in which Rosemary and Thyme manage to uncover a variety of grisly murders. Ferris and Kendal are delightful as our middle-aged heroines and the crimes they solve are as clever and satisfying as any mystery buff could wish. My wife and I have watched and enjoyed this series many times and discovered something new with each viewing. Highly recommended!

Alleyn Mysteries (1990–1994)

Inspector Alleyn Mysteries - Highly Recommended!

[10/10 · 21 September 2017]

When it comes to crafting intelligent and entertaining television mysteries, the English simply do it better than anyone else. This excellent 1993 BBC1 series takes place in post-WWII England (c. 1948), even though Dame Ngaio Marsh's novels were set prior to the war. The production effectively captures the rather gray atmosphere so prevalent throughout the country after the war, from the drabness of the period's clothes to the exhaustion in the character's personalities. Patrick Malahide plays Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, and Belinda Lang portrays his love interest Agatha Troy, both remnants of Britain's post-war fading upper class. William Simons rounds out the cast as Alleyn's working-class assistant Detective Inspector Fox. The crimes are clever and their solutions sensible, surely to satisfy any mystery fan. My wife and I have viewed this series many times and find something new and enjoyable with each viewing. Highly recommended!

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998–2000)

Murder, Mayhem, and Ragtime

[10/10 · 18 September 2017]

If you like your mysteries with style, grace, a touch of humor, and a dash of ragtime, then you're going to like "Mrs. Bradley Mysteries". This superb 1998 BBC production starring Diana Rigg ("The Avengers" & "Game Of Thrones") and Neil Dudgeon ("Midsomer Murders") is based on characters created by Gladys Mitchell and marvelously captures 1920's English society, complete with cigarette holders, flapper skirts, bobbed hair, and those marvelous vintage cars, including Mrs. Bradley's own Rolls Royce. The settings are elegantly English, the crimes are clever, and the suspects decidedly decadent. Particularly playful are Mrs. Bradley's observations on the moralities of the the day which she delivers directly to the audience. My wife and I have watched this series many times, discovering something new and entertaining with each viewing. If you like vintage mysteries, you will thoroughly enjoy "Mrs. Bradley Mysteries".

Broadchurch (2013–2017)

British Mystery At It's Best!

[10/10 · 28 February 2016]

My wife and I watched all sixteen episodes of this beautifully made British mini-series in one sitting. We couldn't help ourselves. We were addicted.

"Broadchurch" is a cleverly-crafted murder mystery in the finest British tradition. And for whatever reason, when it comes to mysteries, the British seem to do it best.

Writer, and series creator, Chris Chibnall, did a marvelous job of twisting and turning the story's plot, throwing suspicion from one suspect to the next, and keeping us guessing from episode to episode. In fact, according to the production notes, even the cast and crew didn't know who was guilty until they began filming the final episode.

The cast was headed by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, both of whom turned in spectacular performances. But then all the performances by all the supporting cast were believable. The show's production values were top notch, emphasizing it's lovely setting along the southern coast of England.

Everything about this series showcases the British mastery of creating an exciting and fully fascinating murder mystery.

Dear Prudence (2009 TV Movie)

Charmingly Entertaining!

[13 September 2011]

If you want to enjoy all the fine nuances and details of intricate plots, characterizations, clues, and red herrings, then read a book. Movies are limited by a number of constraints.

At best, major movies have 120 minutes available, whereas made-for-TV movies have only 90-100 minutes. Additionally, TV movies have many more code restrictions imposed on them. In books, authors can get away with almost anything. On top of everything else, Lifetime and Hallmark impose additional restrictions to insure films on their channels are compatible with their wholesome corporate images. To say that scripts on the Hallmark channel are mediocre is to do them an injustice.

By necessity, story lines for TV movies must be simplified, lest they become too confusing by trying to cram too much into too little available time. The same is true with the development of characters and their back stories. I think the scripts on these channels are just fine, given the restrictions they are under.

The story for "Dear Prudence" was not predictable. If anyone figured everything out in the first 15 minutes, then they simply made a lucky guess. But I wouldn't bet my new IPad based on that guess.

Jane Seymour and her fellow actors all did a fine and believable job. The production values were lovely, and the script was lively and entertaining. I think this would make a terrific TV series.

If you like your mystery stories on the somewhat lighter side, then I would recommend this movie most highly.

The Hollywood Mom's Mystery (2004 TV Movie)

Entertaining and Intriguing!

[13 September 2011]

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and have watched it many times over. The acting, production values, and screenplay are all very good. Congratulations are due to Levinson and company. Justine Bateman and Elizabeth Pena both do a terrific job, and it was great seeing George Hamilton again. We particularly like the main character's lively narrative throughout the story. The screenplay does a nice job of picking off all those typical Hollywood characters we have come to love-to-loathe so much. We think this would make a great TV series. My wife read the book, which has many more details than the movie. But even without these details, the movie is entertaining and intriguing. If you like your who-done-its with a soft touch, then we recommend this movie most highly.

Caught in the Act (2004 TV Movie)

Great Fun!

[13 September 2011]

Since I've retired, I've started watching these Lifetime and Hallmark movies along with my wife. To my surprise, many of them are pretty good, especially this one. To me, the acting and production values were all perfectly acceptable and believable. In this story, revenge and justice are the primary motivations. I couldn't help but applaud the heroine's success in overcoming her cheating husband's boorish ways. It was fun watching him squirm on the witness stand. It was fun watching her knee-jerk reaction to the private eye who was also cheating her. It was fun watching her squirm in the bushes as she spied on her husband at the golf course. It was fun watching her shoot holes in her husband's luggage. And when her husband fakes a heart attack, it was fun watching her tell him that he had better go ahead and die, because he would be "stiff and stinking" before she ever called an ambulance. Regarding Lauren Holly's accent, it was more country than anything else, and it suited the character perfectly. All in all, this movie was fun and I enjoyed it. My wife and I think this would make a great TV series.

Carnal Innocence (2011 TV Movie)

A Good Nora Robert's Adaptation!

[13 September 2011]

Up front, I enjoyed this movie. According to my wife, the Nora Roberts expert in our family, the writers and producers did a pretty good job of following the book's story. The actors were attractive and competent, even though Colin Egglesfield's attempt to look like Tom Cruise was rather vain. Gabrielle Anwar was her lovely and seductive self, and it was great seeing Shirley Jones on the screen again. However, there were some glaring irregularities with the production we couldn't help but notice. Granted, when adapting a novel for television, the writers and producers are under pressure to clean them up and make them politically acceptable for family viewing, especially for Lifetime and Hallmark audiences. But sometimes these efforts border on the absurd. For example, take the character of Sheriff Burke, the elected sheriff of the small Mississippi town where the story takes place. In the novel, Nora's facts are believable. The sheriff is a typical good old white boy who is married to an attractive and socially prominent white woman. But in this production, the sheriff is a black man who is married to an attractive and socially prominent white woman. I don't think the times have changed that much - certainly not in rural Mississippi. Next, have you ever looked at a scene and wondered what's wrong with this picture? There is a July 4th celebration in the story, complete with whooping and hollering and good old country music. But as you look at this scene in this production, you can't help but notice what's missing – confederate flags. Excuse me, in Mississippi those good old boys are going to wave flags, both American and most surely confederate. Finally, there's the matter of the Mississippi heat. This story takes place in the summertime in Mississippi, which is hot, humid and all around sticky. Yet the sheriff and FBI dude walk around outside in the heat with a clean shirt and tie, buttoned at the top yet, and not a spot of wetness showing through their shirts. There is also a scene where the hero and heroine are lounging romantically in front of a roaring fireplace. A roaring fireplace in Mississippi in the summertime is not romantic, it's insane! But even with these nick-picky faults, the movie was good and we recommend it highly.