Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

Strong and Moving!

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The second film in the Jesse Stone franchise, technically this is where the series begins, because this is a prequel and based on the first book by Robert B. Parker. We have seen in some films, they begin the story like, perhaps with a robbery and then go back to tell us how it all began. Because they want a strong opening, so that's quite a convincingly unorthodox way to begin. The same theory was applied for this film series like the recent animation 'Tintin', that they started with the fourth book which had a more interesting element to get the big viewers.So we're back to the origins with this and it is obviously slow, but that's how the introductions work. In the previous film I did not know how deep the Jesse's connection with the Paradise. Likewise, many doubts were cleared after watching this. The tale begins with the Jesse's cross country road trip. After the days of journey finally he arrives the Paradise. Meanwhile, you will learn why he got transferred to a small town in the New England's coastline, besides it also reveals his personal issues like divorce and alcohol addiction.It is a new beginning for him, and he's prepared to turn his life around from all the recent hits. He's not young unlike in the book, he's not stylish either like Sherlock or Poirot, just an ordinary cop, but he deals with all the police work on his own way. He was replaced by the day before retired another young police chief and Paradise is looking forward for his service. But looks he already made an enemy while dealing a small domestic violence and when he receives the news of the ex-cop was killed, his first ever case quietly enters a probe.If you are a dog lover, be prepared for an emotional event. Once I had a dog, so I know how it all ends. Those parts were underdeveloped, but it does not matter if you love pets. I think it was one of the best additions to bring the sentiments while Jesse was hurt by his failed marriage which we won't feel as he does. Because we know enough him since, at which point he was introduced to us, but we don't know anything about his past, particularly married life or the ex-wife or as a big city cop."I'm not in the right and wrong business. I'm in the legal and illegal business."The film came ten years ago, but still today it feels fresh. Slow narration, but nicely made film with the wonderful performances. Tom Selleck was good as he was in the previous one and the rest of the cast well supported him. Viola Davis' one of the earlier work in her acting career, but not a big role, not in the first two films, so lets see how her role shapes up in the remaining ones. As well, for Britt Robertson, who was so young, appeared as a troubled teenager girl and I doubt her return in the next film.In this story, the crime solving was a small part. The Narration had other stuffs to focus on like familiarising everybody and the place to the viewers. At a time the search for the killer unintentionally takes a twist. Like Jesse's cop instinct leads the way to nab him, but how he does it, with whom help, place, time, all come into the effect the tale to end on a high.The Jesse Stone was kind of depressing, maybe that is another reason why this film was not the first in the series as it should be, but most of the viewers judge him or the film for his great work. I annoyed by Jesse when he calls his colleague 'suitcase' and I'm happy the point was brought in, but the given reason was not convincing enough. I hope it will be resolved in the other films, because a great personality like him (of course a fictional character) should not degrade himself with those silly remarks for others.I liked it so far in the series for being simple, particularly not making any hype on any characters, crime or even there's no hurry in the developments or to bring in the edgy moments, which is very essential for a cop film. That's obviously a cliché, but the film avoided it carefully until it's needed. Calm and coolly reaches where it is heading like a bit of realistic touch, but cinematic feel is there.And regarding the crime, once again, for the second consecutive time the film did not hold back the identity of the killer. It was not intended to be a mystery crime-drama, but from the perspective of cop who knows nothing about the suspect hold the key for the entire development till it ends. So I can't compare it with any similar genius detective characters' films.Overall a good follow-up film, but I don't think everybody would be happy as they were for the first film. Maybe after this, watching again the 'Stone Cold' seems not a bad idea, or if you have not begun watching this series then I suggest to begin with this, followed by the first and the original order for the remaining. There won't be any complication to follow, because it would give us a clean flow of the story to get involved. I think if you like slow presentation you will enjoy it. It is just a second film, there's a long way to go, so then lets we meet in the third film.8/10

¨Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Night Passage¨ deals with an L.A. cop who goes to a small town only to find a mystery after the other , intervening in a domestic abuse case and a killing . Jesse Stone (Tom Selleck) is a tough, but worn-out Police Chief . Former LA policeman , who relocates to Paradise, Massachusetts after leaving the duty due to a drinking problem . He buys a secluded house where he lives with his senior hound dog that suffers an illness . While the Police Chief Jesse Stone's relationship with his ex-wife worsens and he fears he will relapse into alcoholism , to get his mind off his problems, Jesse begins working on the unsolved murder . Meantime , Jessie becomes romantically involved with a local advocate in law (Polly Shannon) . He soon becomes complicated with a case of domestic violence whose husband (Stephen Baldwin) holds a serious criminal behavior , connected to the mob .This agreeable story results to be a prequel to 'Stone Cold,' , here Tom Selleck reprises his role as Jesse Stone , an almost-retired and drunk policeman . Very good acting by veteran Tom Selleck , he plays as an ex- L.A. cop who becomes Chief in the small coastal town and find himself immersed in mysteries and murders . Support cast is frankly excellent as Saul Rubinek as Hastings Hathaway , Viola Davis as Molly Crane , Kohl Sudduth as Luther 'Suitcase' , Polly Shannon as attorney Abby Taylor , Stephanie March as Cissy Hathaway , Mike Starr as Lou Carson and Stephen McHattie as captain Healy . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by Jeff Beal . Colorful and sunny cinematography by David Gribble . This TV picture was professionally directed by Robert Harmon , though with no originality , being sometimes slow-moving and predictable . Harmon has directed a bunch of made-for-TV movies which include the excellent biopics "Gotti" and "Ike: Countdown to D-Day" . His greatest hit smash was the psycho horror knockout title "The Hitcher" with Rutger Hauer . Robert made a welcome return to the horror genre with the creepy "They" and contributed another worthy addition to the "danger on the road" sub-genre with the brutal and nerve-wracking "Highwaymen." More recently Robert Harmon has directed starring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone is this enjoyable series .This several gritty and superior made-for-TV crime mystery drama series was formed by 8 chapters , these are the following : Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Sea Change" 2. Jesse Stone: Crímenes en Boston (2010) (TV) aka "Jesse Stone: No Remorse" - USA 3 "Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Thin Ice" - UK (complete title), 4. "Robert B. Parker's Stone Cold" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title) "Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" - USA (original title) , aka "Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise" - Australia, UK (complete title), USA (complete title¨) ; 6 "Jesse Stone: Night Passage" - USA (original title) , 7 "Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011) (TV) and Jesse Stone: Benefit of doubt (2012) .

This is the best movie soundtrack I've heard in a long time, very primitive, makes the blood rush! How can we get a copy of this music? Tom Selleck is excellent as Jesse Stone. He is his usual charismatic self - likened to Cary Grant - with his easy mannerisms and tongue-in-cheek humor. He plays Jesse Stone as easy and believable as he did Magnum in much younger days. Not overly talkative - that's where the excellent soundtrack/music comes in - telling as much of the story as the characters. Cozy town, humble chief of police; reminds you of the coastal town of Murder She Wrote. He doesn't have to prove anything to me, I've been a fan from the beginning; but here's hoping the Jesse Stone series continues.

While this was a pretty good movie, as a fan of Parkers series ( Jesse Stone, Spencer, Sunny Randall) I was a little disappointed the movie didn't have the same plot as the book. Those who've read it know what I'm talking about; those who haven't , get ready for a spoiler. In the movie Steven Baldwin was an abusive husband who was mob connected, and that's about it. The book is quite different. Jesse Stone was hired as police chief of Paradise, Ma. by the town council because they needed a puppet they could pull ( the previous chief got nervous and was sent packing). The reason is the town elders ( including some cops) are a bunch of white supremacists who are planning a revolution. The previous chief in fact is killed in the Midwest. The town elders know about Jesse and his drinking problem; that's why they hired him but he turns around and straightens himself up (somewhat) surprising them. He disrupts their plot. Part of the story also includes a weightlifting muscle head who's a real thug. Jesse runs into him early on and deals with him throughout the book. This thug along with a town elder even goes to Boston to buy weapons for the revolution from mafioso Gino Fish ( from the Spenser series) but gets ripped off. Eventually he kills a woman (or 2) in Paradise which Jesse solves, thus turning him into a cooperative witness. There were some scenes straight from the book ( especially the opening scene on Santa Monica Beach where Jesse is thinking about his future and his past when the cops question him) but the major plot change made me less than thrilled. Still, the acting helped bring this movie up.