Jesse Stone - Night Passage (2006)

Very good movie

Very good movie, but why it's the second movie of the show? The first
was Jesse Stone "Stone Cold".But in the first is the result of the second! Anyway the both are excellent and Tom Selleck is a very good
actor.
A watch and keep it! April 14, 2008

Great production values

I'll skip commentary on the plot or Tom Selleck. Most people have covered these very well. My perspective is production quality. Generally, television movies are merely okay when judged by music and camera work. After all, the little screen is cheaper than the big screen. The stunning production of the Jesse Stone series sets it above anything seen ever.

I would love to know the location setting. I was born and raised in MA and can't imagine a village like Paradise within commuting distance of Boston. The entire North and South Shore above and below Boston are teeming with residents so tightly packed that merely setting off to pick up milk takes resilience and cunning.I'm thinking that it's really Canada or the state of Maine.

It's the harsh and compelling scenery of the shoreline wrapping around the tiny town of Paradise that sets the appropriate mood for the brooding and iconoclastic new police chief, LA fugitive Jesse Stone. Gorgeous, sunny fall days full of spectacular, sharply displayed color recede into damp, rainy, foreboding nights full of those quietly desparate people who rarely dare to leave. The camera work is as stunning as I've ever seen out of Hollywood. One could find entertainment playing this DVD over and over even with the sound turned off.

Crank it up, though. Don't miss the poignant score artfully articulated by Jeff Beal. I hope the soundtrack will be released as well as future movies. I always play the credits that role too briefly at the end. Big screen movie credits go on interminably citing the great contribution of everyone from the executive producers to the gal that keeps the coffee fresh on set. The Jesse Stone series is just a few names at the start and the end. Still, I find it hard to shut the television off until the last note is played.

The cast is a great blend of old pros and new talent. Selleck's trademark laid back style envelopes the storyline like a perfectly broken in leather chair. Kohl Sudduth as Luther "Suitcase" Simpson, the eager young officer, moves into a favorite son roll that contrasts very well against the paternal Jesse Stone. The dispatcher is commandingly played by the amazing Viola Davis who takes her character from skeptical resentment to protective admiration swiftly and smoothly.

Saul Rubinek, the crooked but likeable banker squeezes two movies out of what is usually a throwaway roll. Rubinek may be one of those names you can't place because he's pretty much a utility actor rather than a first stringer. But he's never failed in being a notorious scene stealer in the best sense of the term. He has capacity to spare in his acting and prevents any flattening of character. The viewer roots for his comeuppance and then regrets his punishment.

The Tony D'Angelo character simmers in petty irritaion as the oldest cop at the station who's forced to play bridesmaid to every bride when the job of chief is 'stolen' from him by the incoming LA stranger Stone. Vito Rezza's expressive face and talented posturing creates an enduring tribute to the self-obsessed "little guy" steeming in his own resentments and obsessed with lame efforts to get back at the new chief.

But the real prize is the main character. There's a great deal of viewer satisfaction in seeing a powerful, confident man who, despite his own personal demons, sees crime and punishment through a complicated but common sense lens. Whether in a big city or a tiny village, he operates on his own keenly tuned intution, dispensing justice with supreme condidence. In this world of man-made conflict it is very rewarding to see a man who can un-make the troublemakers.

April 3, 2008

Jesse Stone is FANtastic!

Anyone looking for Magnum P.I. in the Jesse Stone character should look elsewhere. Tom Selleck does a magnificent job in his portrayal of a rough, very flawed, but brilliant sheriff as he cracks the case, but interacts genuinely with his fellow officers and the people he serves. I enjoy this series and have all of the Jesse Stone DVD's. PLEASE GIVE US MORE! Terrific series! Intense, dramatic, wonderful sound track and scenery...you really care about these people. Don't miss this one! March 10, 2008

First in the series - not a bad start

I hoped the movie would do justice to the story. It almost does. The problem is not with Tom Selleck - he's perfect for the part. The problem lies in the way the story was butchered to make the film. They could have done much better - hell, I probably could have done better and I've never written a script. Still it was good and entertaining. March 8, 2008

Good follow-up to the first "Jesse Stone" television film

Another engaging, introspective TV movie featuring Robert B. Parker's "Jesse Stone" police chief character. Though the second of the Jesse Stone films, "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" chronologically takes place before "Stone Cold", the first film produced. That's because this is an "origin" story, showing how Chief Stone landed his job in Paradise, Massachusetts.

The same thoughtful, measured, "artistic" feel of "Stone Cold" permeates this film, as well. Some people find this approach slow and a bit dull, but I like it. My only quibble this time out is a conclusion that wraps every plot point up a bit too quickly and neatly during the course of one scene: some explanation, a shooting, a little more explanation, a little more shooting, all questions answered. The scene also shows us Jesse stupidly putting himself completely at risk as he attempts to spring his trap.

But, as said, that's just a quibble, and the movie is generally very good. Just the fact that these Jesse Stone movies are clearly aimed at literate adults who enjoy skillful, nuanced dialogue and artful cinematography is enough for me to give these productions a strong recommendation. January 16, 2008

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