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In the Electric Mist
2009 117 min France, United States of America R 18+
★6.1
Thriller, Drama, Crime, Mystery
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
🎭 Based on
«In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead»
byJames Lee Burke
Trailers
Description
Lt. Dave Robicheaux, a detective in New Iberia, Louisiana, is trying to link the murder of a local hooker to New Orleans mobster Julie (Baby Feet) Balboni, who is co-producer of a Civil War film. At the same time, after Elrod Sykes, the star of the film, reports finding another corpse in the Atchafalaya Swamp near the movie set, Robicheaux starts another investigation, believing the corpse to be the remains of a black man who he saw being murdered 35 years before.
Starring
Tommy Lee Jones
Actor
John Goodman
Actor
Peter Sarsgaard
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 2009
— Golden Bear
Key opinion
In the Electric Mist is widely defined by Tommy Lee Jones's authoritative performance and an authentic, atmospheric depiction of the Louisiana bayou. However, the film struggles with a convoluted screenplay that many find overly busy and unfocused compared to its source material.
| Acting | Tommy Lee Jones delivers a compelling, deeply grounded performance that effectively anchors the narrative. | |
| Cinematography | The film succeeds in establishing a rich, genuine Southern Gothic atmosphere through its swamp-centric cinematography. | |
| Screenplay | The script is frequently criticized for being overly complex, tangled, and lacking the sharp focus of the original novel. | |
| Pacing | The film's leisurely, contemplative tempo is polarizing; some find it immersive and character-driven, while others view it as sluggish and lacking in momentum. | |
| Direction | Opinions on the direction are split: the film is praised for its atmospheric focus but criticized for feeling busy or losing its grip on the narrative during certain sequences. |