Movie Review - Carolina Moon

Carolina Moon

2007

Production Companies:  Mandalay Television, Stephanie Germain Productions, ARD Degeto Film, Tandem Communications, & Alberta Film Entertainment.

This film is based on the Nora Roberts novel of the same name.  I have to confess that I do have a soft spot for her TV movie adaptations, I particularly liked Midnight Bayou, Tribute, and Northern Lights.  If you've seen any of these then you roughly know what to expect.

In Carolina Moon Stephen Tolkin tells the story of Victoria Bodeen and her psychic ability of second sight.  When Victoria "Tory" Bodeen was young her life was a mixture of good and bad.  The good was her best friend Hope and the adventures they had in the local woods.  The bad was her religious zealot of a father, who saw Tory's psychic gift as a curse.  One that needed beating out of her.  One nighttime, Tory was meant to meet Hope in the woods, hough her father had whipped her so bad that she failed to make their rendezvous.  Suddenly her gift kicks in and she has to watch helplessly as her best friend is killed.  Worse yet, it's through the eyes of the killer.  Her father moves the family away a few weeks later and Tory leaves them as soon as she can.  Eighteen years later and she's returned to her hometown to try and find peace from the ghosts and memories that have plagued her.  It's not long before Tory is having visions of other murdered girls... do these have something to do with Hope's murder?  Is her killer still out there?  Are they still active?

Tolkin does a splendid job of casting suspicion onto just about everybody in this film and that is where its strength lies.  I had a good idea of who did it, and I was correct, though I was thrown off the trail more than once by other possibilities.  As for the direction, Tolin doesn't do pretty or interesting, though there were plenty of opportunities to enthral us.  However, he stays to the standard point-and-shoot style of most TV movies.  Sometimes it's nice to have a sweeping shot or an interesting angle.  The pace of the film is in keeping with the style; generally, the film has a steady and even pace.  Tolkin does speed it up a little to create a little tension near the climax of the film when the killer is revealed.  More suspension and tension wouldn't have gone amiss with the psychic visions and the daughter and father scenes - this would have shown her distrust and terror of the man.

For the most part, the acting is above average and though I do like Claire Forlani her fake southern accent does start to irritate, though her acting is on par.  It's Oliver Hudson who could win the Redwood prize in this film as there are more than a few scenes where his acting is wooden.  It's Jacqueline Bisset, Shaun Johnston, and Josie Davis who are the strongest and most believable in their characters which make this movie stronger.  In fact, Johnston as the Bible Bashing and Daughter whipping father is so realistic and believable I wanted to hit him myself.

I would recommend this to everyone as it's a good film about youth, friendship, overcoming loss, and rebuilding relationships.  All of that tied up in a whodunnit murder mystery with a paranormal twist.  I did enjoy the film though I'm not sure I would purposefully watch it again... but who can say, it does have Claire Forlani in it...

Movie Review - Northern Lights

Northern Lights

2009

Stephanie Germain Productions / Mandalay Television / Alberta Film Entertainment / Nora NL Productions : Lifetime Television / Tandem Comunications

6.25 / 10

The surprising thing about this movie is the quality of the cast and the acting within.  I was mostly surprised by Leann Rimes who can hold her own in the female lead here and fits in well.  I've heard her superb vocal ability and never knew she has thespian talents also, based on this film I would quite happily watch anything else she's done.

The only cringeworthy scene was when Meg Galligan (Leeann Rimes) tells her mother Charlene (Rosanna Arquette) that her father, Charlene's true love, is dead.  Arquette goes way over the top at this news and totally wrecks the scene; though to be fair, Mike Robe who directed should've stepped in to give her some better direction and tone down the theatrics a little - sometimes less can be better.

That said, the rest of the film is very well acted by all, though I have to say Jayne Eastwood who portrays Mayor Hopp is on top form.  I first saw her in Haven as the no-nonsense coroner, and she has the same kind of believable tenacity in this role also, a joy to watch as she brought a smile to my face.

Robe does a decent job of keeping the mystery and suspense rolling as the story of the new Cheif Of Police Nate Burns (Eddie Cibrian) in Lunacy, Alaska finds he has a fifteen-year-old murder case to solve; worse yet, the murder victim is his love interests, father; worst still, it seems that most of Lunacy could be the potential killer.  You're never too sure as the viewer as not many clues are given, in fact, you have to be pretty observant and quick-sighted to spot and remember a certain scene to work out the killer's identity before the Chief of Police.  The resolve of the story is quick, it may have been better to slow this section down and create a little more tension.

Not having read the Nora Roberts novel I cannot say how well it's been adapted, though in its own right Janet Brownell the Teleplay writer does give the audience one hell of a story filled with believable and interesting characters.

If you like murder mysteries then you should like this one, it is definitely a curl-up with your loved one on a Sunday afternoon movie, while the world passes by outside.  Worth at least one viewing.