French director Betrand Tavernier usually makes (excellent) films in his own language; but 'In The Electric Mist' is set in deepest Lousiana, and not the Cajun-speaking part either. It's a solid police procedural, but it never rises to the heights of Tavernier's greatest work: one by one, the bodies mount up, strangely without causing anyone but the hero exceptional concern, while the overall portrait of the deep south is somewhat clichéd, a racist place (although the real villains are more misanthropist than particularly racist) but one where the ghost of a confederate general is somehow also a symbol of honour and decency. Tommy Lee Jones puts in a decent turn in the lead role, and I also liked the soundtrack (though it sounded more like mountain than bayou music to me). It's a watchable film, but not one that takes its viewer in any surprising directions.

IN THE ELECTRIC MIST is a near-perfect neo-noir anchored by a solid, yet restrained, performance by Tommy Lee Jones. Ever since I heard about this, I wanted to see it and boy was I surprised. It exceeded my expectations greatly. The story, put simply, is about a New Orleans detective Dave Robicheaux (Jones) who is investigating the murder of a prostitute and also looking into the 40-year-old murder of a black man who was recently found in a swamp. Along the way he ends up getting into situations that drag him further into Louisana's deep dark secrets and past, uncovers some things that other people would rather forget and has some surreal encounters with a Confederate general. That last bit really caught me off-guard, and also calls into the question the mental state of Robicheaux, who also serves as the film's narrator. I really liked the way that the filmmakers play around with the concept of reality in this movie, because it adds some depth to a fairly standard story and it also works in the thematic context of the story itself. There were also some great supporting performances given by John Goodman, as a crime boss who is also investing in a movie being shot there, Peter Sarsgaard as actor in that movie, as well as Mary Steenburgen (Robicheaux's wife), Kelly MacDonald, Buddy Guy and Levon Helm. Each of these actors has moments in the film where they can show off their acting ability, and not a moment is wasted with them. Also of note is the stunning soundtrack, which is full of great blues tunes and native Cajun folk songs which really bring out and accentuate the Louisiana culture on display. The score also helps to establish and maintain the palpable dramatic tension as well as give some shades of melancholy which are also personified in Jones' weathered detective character. If there was one fault I could find with the movie, it's a third act twist which is a bit predictable and cliché, but fortunately it's resolved rather quickly. Overall, the real draw is the strong central performance by Tommy Lee Jones who does a great job of portraying a seasoned, hard-boiled detective with some flaws, but a good sense of right and wrong. I also especially liked the idea of transplanting the hard-boiled detective story into post-Katrina New Orleans. Highly recommended viewing.

Watched this on cable a couple times because it's set in the Louisiana bayous where my family on my father's side comes from. We're from Bodcau Bayou in Springhill, LA. It was only okay.Then I watched the real movie, and it lived up to the potential I knew it had. Don't watch this on cable, cut by commercials and censors. Tommy Lee Jones, nominated three times for best actor in a supporting role, and having won once for "The Fugitive" in 1993, will immerse you in N'awleans Cajun culture. Personally, I can't believe he did not win more for "No Country for Old Men." Well, he won the National Board of Review USA, and the San Diego Film Critics Society, and the Screen Guild Actors Award, but no Oscar, even though he was nominated.This is a story that will keep you mesmerized if you watch it uncensored and uncut. If your only option is cable other than TCM or Sundance skip it and find a video, but it'd worth seeking out.If you find it uncut it will bring you into the bayou culture for a couple of hours and really make you care about what happens to these characters.Most of the cable channels slash it too much too even follow it. Enjoy!

Dave Robicheaux is a no-nonsense detective(... why, yes, that is Tommy Lee Jones' role, however did you guess? He does fine with what he's given to work with, and is enjoyable to watch), simultaneously investigating a serial killer who targets prostitutes and a 1965 lynching, and gets advice from a long-dead Confederate general who only he can see(and he doubts that the officer is indeed real). I have not read the novel this is an adaptation of, but I feel confident in asserting that it was butchered in writing this screenplay(as often happens with this sort of thing, in various ways). This is just exactly a cohesive whole, and at times, it stops short of even that. The plot feels unresolved by the end of it, and the conclusion to the mystery doesn't satisfy(assigning someone the blame for a crime in a story like this isn't enough). Characters are introduced, do little, and are treated to next to no development. The only 93 minutes of running time tend to snail away. This does give a decent look into the environment of post-Katrina New Orleans, and the race relations. There's a bunch of weird stuff that I guess is either because of what was cut from the source material, or is a cultural thing, such as all the talking about producing films in the state. This can be somewhat exciting when it tries to be, which isn't often. There is a moderate amount of strong language and bloody, violent and disturbing content, as well as brief female topless nudity. I recommend this only to big fans of the deadpan Texan. 6/10