Being a Tom Berenger fan for many years, I purchased the DVD and enjoyed this "made from TV" movie a lot. Tom can play any role and was excellent as the conflicted man faced with ethical and personal problems. Scenes with Cybill Shepard and the marriage counselor rang true to me, as did those involving the priest-detective dilemma of this man's life. There was more to ponder in the story than just the murder mystery. The supporting cast, overall, was well chosen and the performances satisfying. This was one of those motion picture treatmentsof a novel which caused me to make plans to read Arthur Hailey's book. All in all, my impression of this movie is positive and I hope that you, the reader of this review, will give it a try.
19 Reviews
Had this not been a Hallmark presentation...
ODDBear19 January 2006
Tom Berenger plays Malcolm Ainslie, a former priest turned detective, and he has one big case on his hands. A madman is killing elderly residents in gruesome fashion and his actions seem to be somewhat borrowed form The Book of Revelations. As a former priest, Ainslie might just prove to be the perfect one to solve the case.
Mixing in Ainslie's troubled personal life, Detective has a good story throughout it's running time. I can't help thinking this could have been even better had it not been a Hallmark presentation. There's no gore here (but plenty of opportunities) and the suspense seems to watered down somewhat, especially during the climax. It's totally got that TV feel to it, but director choirs are well handled by David Cass, a seasoned television director.
The cast is mostly good. Tom Berenger is good as Ainslie, handling all aspects of the character well. Cybill Sheperd is fine as his wife but Annabeth Gish is completely stone-faced all the way through. It's fun to see Charles Durning but his role is a small one.
Had this movie gotten the theatrical treatment it could have been one hell of a thriller. Sourced from a good book by Arthur Hailey, it really cries out for better production values and some bloody set pieces. Still, it's quite good all the same.
Mixing in Ainslie's troubled personal life, Detective has a good story throughout it's running time. I can't help thinking this could have been even better had it not been a Hallmark presentation. There's no gore here (but plenty of opportunities) and the suspense seems to watered down somewhat, especially during the climax. It's totally got that TV feel to it, but director choirs are well handled by David Cass, a seasoned television director.
The cast is mostly good. Tom Berenger is good as Ainslie, handling all aspects of the character well. Cybill Sheperd is fine as his wife but Annabeth Gish is completely stone-faced all the way through. It's fun to see Charles Durning but his role is a small one.
Had this movie gotten the theatrical treatment it could have been one hell of a thriller. Sourced from a good book by Arthur Hailey, it really cries out for better production values and some bloody set pieces. Still, it's quite good all the same.
(Sigh...) The Book Was Better....
michaeldmaddox14 February 2011
This movie took a pretty massive book and condensed it somewhat into about three hours of screen time. Condensing I get, but there are other problems: (1) The original book had a fairly straightforward set of flashbacks that really built the suspense for me. This made-for-TV movie rendered the entire plot as a sequential time line, dashing key elements of the original story's suspense. TV viewers can't handle flashbacks? Come on, give me a break! (2) In the movie, Cynthia Ernst, fellow detective of the title role, had not an ounce of the charisma, go-for-the-jugular dynamism and downright sex appeal of the book's character. Worse, she may as well have been dressed in a sweatshirt and stretch pants for most of the movie. Bad choice of actress, too? Maybe. (3) The sexual tension between the movie's Ernst character and Detective-Sergeant Ainslie, a major source of the suspense in the book, was all but undetectable in the movie. Put it down to a lack of chemistry between Tom Berenger and Annabeth Gish, I guess. (Not as bad as Bird On A Wire, but I'm just saying...) (4) The potential for suspense that should attend the discovery of a major public figure's involvement in a major crime, plus the tension of obtaining the final proof, was 99% wasted. That was how the book made my pulse pound! (5) The motivation for the major public figure's crime was revealed in the book, but not in the movie. Another opportunity wasted. ... On balance, Detective-Sergeant Ainslie's wife Karen was played by Cybill Shepherd, and I love watching her do anything.... :)
The Long Long Long Thriller
guilfisher-126 May 2007
It took many hours to get through this predictable detective story. With a strong heavy weight cast, it still seems endless with many scenes that were just too long. Is this the writing? Directing? Or acting? Tom Berenger in the lead role as the detective out to solve the crimes, seemed to be going around in a daze, not sure what was happening around him. When he is faced with truths, his face doesn't change expression. I usually like this actor, but not in this. Cybill Shepherd wasted in a thankless role as the wife he left behind. Not much for her to do. Too bad. More of her could have made the story at least exciting. Annabeth Gish, just was bad casting. Not much going on there. One expression throughout the movie. No one cared. Veteran Charles Durning also wasted in a nothing role. Don't see much of him. Sean O'Bryan and David Atkinson, to this viewer turned in the most interesting and challenging roles. Good acting and energy sadly lacking from the others. But, please a four hour movie? It has to have something to hold interest. I welcomed the commercials just to get a break.
THE WRONG MISTRESS
thebushwacker16 August 2021
"Arthur Hailey's Detective" 2005 is pretty good. It's hard to be completely objective, because I love Tom Berenger and Wanda De Jesus. I agree with the reviewer that said the music seemed out of place and obtrusive. It's like they borrowed the music from another movie. LOL Other than than, the movie is pretty good. The sub-plot of the breakdown of the marriage seemed contrived; like Hailey (the author) was putting together a story with paint by numbers. Then there's the thing about Malcolm being a former priest! Really? Yeah, it's possible, but it almost laughable. The casting is wrong. I like Gish alright, but she doesn't seem to fit with Berenger as a mistress. They should have made Wanda De Jesus the mistress. Definitely a Hallmark movie. // The Bushwacker 8/15/2021.
THE WRONG MISTRESS
thebushwacker16 August 2021
"Arthur Hailey's Detective" 2005 is pretty good. It's hard to be completely objective, because I love Tom Berenger and Wanda De Jesus. I agree with the reviewer that said the music seemed out of place and obtrusive. It's like they borrowed the music from another movie. LOL Odd thing is, several reviewers said that the music was too loud. I didn't think it was. Other than than, the movie is pretty good. The sub-plot of the breakdown of the marriage seemed contrived; like Hailey (the author) was putting together a story with paint by numbers. Then there's the thing about Malcolm being a former priest! Really? Yeah, it's possible, but it almost laughable. The casting is wrong. I like Gish alright, but she doesn't seem to fit with Berenger as a mistress. They should have made Wanda De Jesus the mistress. Definitely a Hallmark movie. An odd thing about the movie is that several famous actors are uncredited: Bruce Boxleitner, Jack Conley, Lee Garlington, Christopher Lloyd, Richard Riehle, etc. // The Bushwacker 8/15/2021.
S-s-s-s-s-s-s-say it, junior!
welcherj26 May 2007
This movie reminds me of the reports I'd write in college that had to be ten pages on a subject I did not even remotely care about. The result was always 2 pages of substance with 8 pages of rambling crap that added absolutely no value to the final product. Was I a poor student? Yes, and I have the attention span of a hummingbird on crack so maybe I'm missing something here. It's 8:58pm where I'm at right now, and I swear this thing started six hours ago (no control over the TV). I glance up once in awhile to see another pointless conversation with some more cliché dialog. The actors aren't bad - they just have nowhere to go. It's a one hour episode of a cookie cutter crime show that's been stretched out like a Caramello. There should be an "end now" feature on modern cable systems that allows viewers to instantly turn any slow snore-fest into a disaster movie. Hit the blue button and in flashes an asteroid. Hit green and out comes a lava flow. Aliens on red. For now, I guess I'm stuck with the +/- option on my channel control - not that I have any control.
Terrible dialogue
compras-7556231 May 2020
It is amazing the level of actors that stooped to act in this badly written movie. The plot idea has value, but 1. the dialogues were terrible, and 2. the audio production was horrible with background music almost drowning out the actors.
Interesting concept, but be prepared to be disappointed.
real throwback to cheesy 70s cop movies
webmaster-161525 March 2010
not a bad movie. just not a good one. it is tolerable, the kind of movie you will end up watching if you are sick in bed and can't find the remote. it's a "movie of the week" paced like a mini-series event scheduled during sweeps. Tom Berenger is good (as he always is) and Cybill Shepherd is, well, Cybill Shepherd. Annabeth Gish is totally wasted. She seems to actually be absent through most of her performance except for the occasional shrill outburst towards the end. You can't really blame the actors because the real flaw is the story line and script: back-to-back pointless and clichéd conversations that do nothing to move the plot along.
Great Movie
luvtom-25 December 2005
It's so good to see Tom Berenger in a role that's perfect for him, although he's top notch in anything he does. This one, as a priest turned detective, and as a family man, could not have been more suitable. Ainsley not only solves these brutal murders, but has to try to reconcile with his wife, and make his young son understand why his job keeps him from home so much of the time.. He handles all facets of this like the pro that he is. I still cannot understand why Hallmark never released this in the USA, and chose to send it directly to DVD. They very tastefully removed the gore that was in the book, which made it suitable for even the Hallmark Channel. Well written and suspenseful, with an excellent cast it followed Arthur Hailey's book to the T!
Could have been very good, except...
bogie-660536 July 2020
Long and tedious
raymond-massart11 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Three hours of utterly wasted time.Berenger was obviously bored as never before and utters his lines with a kind of guilty embarrassment for having accepted the part.After a succession of brutal murders by a serial killer with which the movie starts, the action and suspense grind to a halt: the police follow four possible suspects, who are all weirdos and inspired by a form of religious insanity. The very long and tedious discussions concerning the murder weapon and the repetitive and alternating confrontations between Berenger and his wife and mistress are detrimental to the dramatic intensity.Furthermore, the basic theme of the priest turned cop may have seemed like a gimmick to the producers but it doesn't work with an audience.The viewer also sees through the plot quite early on and the ending is more than predictable. There is nothing really exceptional about this movie apart from the fact that it is hard to accept that it was ever made in the first place.
one of the worst...
inancpar30 July 2005
This is story about and ex-priest homicide detective who struggling to solve serial murders which they had references to holy bible..besides his personal relationships and problems with separated wife ( Shepherd ) and love affair with his partner ( Gish ).Although having some good and talented actors like Berenger , Gish and Shepherd this mini - series one of the worst I'd ever watched on TV recently.Nothing goes on well.Where is drama ? where is thrilling.so awful script ( characters , dialogs ) so awful directing...perfect example of third class - cheap film which has been made of American cable TV...besides sad see Cybill shepherd so old gained pounds so much...stay away...if you are not a great time waster or film masochist...and what frank Whaley is looking for such bad movie in a very useless role..
Good film, lousy music
lhparsons-5996528 May 2022
As soon as the scene introducing Sybil Shepard I knew
lopezpatricia-0613918 May 2022
I'm a huge fan of Annabelle Gish but this really was a made for tv Saturday afternoon stinker. It felt like it was shot in soft focus (probably for Shepard's sake) but It just lacked the grab you and reel you in. Very soft and tame affair.
Tom At His Best as a Detective
Taylor076 October 2005
Tom Berenger is once again a great detective. Like his characters Michael Keegan (Someone To Watch Over Me), Harry Dobbs (Love @ Large), Clifford DeBose (A Murder of Crows), and Rem Macy (True Blue)- his wit, take-charge attitude, and Noble authority - combined with his personal side - give depth to what could have been a staid character. Most of the supporting cast were perfectly cast. I was pleased to see that the movie kept very closely to the book, except for Malcolm's turning atheist. Was even more pleased that Hallmark did not show gruesome close-ups like was shown in Tom Berenger's Eye See You. Mr. Berenger shines in Alex Haley's Detective. A great movie to watch and re-watch :)
this production is the real crime
frieda-9236611 January 2024
At last a series I hadn't seen before that was made after 2000. When I saw the cast, I had high hopes. How could they lose with Berenger, Gish, and many, many other reputable actors. I'm not sure where the loss began -- maybe the writing (terrible dialogue), the musical score (frantically and annoyingly loud and adds nothing), the sameness of the crime scene victim staging (no serial killer sticks to a script that closely), and hokey use of the Bible for context.
All of the suspects the detectives are tailing are too psychologically disorganized or otherwise focused throughout to have committed these premeditated and carefully planned murders. The actors portraying detectives underact...like zombies rehearsing their lines. And the actors portraying the suspects are manically over-acting to the point it is ludicrous. Embarrassing even to watch all alone in my living room.
The part hardest to believe, however, were the homes of the detectives. Close to the beach, multi-million dollar mansions, every room stunningly decorated and scrupulously well-kept. And if Berenger's character was a priest before becoming a detective, there is not even a hint of this anywhere in his screen presence. I mean, he knew exactly where all the pertinent verses were in Revelations in an instant -- turned directly to them. But other than that, he seems more like a bored boss in a pants factory. How did he get Gish? And btw, no chemistry whatsoever between them.
This one is a snore/bore.
All of the suspects the detectives are tailing are too psychologically disorganized or otherwise focused throughout to have committed these premeditated and carefully planned murders. The actors portraying detectives underact...like zombies rehearsing their lines. And the actors portraying the suspects are manically over-acting to the point it is ludicrous. Embarrassing even to watch all alone in my living room.
The part hardest to believe, however, were the homes of the detectives. Close to the beach, multi-million dollar mansions, every room stunningly decorated and scrupulously well-kept. And if Berenger's character was a priest before becoming a detective, there is not even a hint of this anywhere in his screen presence. I mean, he knew exactly where all the pertinent verses were in Revelations in an instant -- turned directly to them. But other than that, he seems more like a bored boss in a pants factory. How did he get Gish? And btw, no chemistry whatsoever between them.
This one is a snore/bore.
Dissapointed
IlMorto24 February 2024
Quite a cast! Many talented actors I truly like! But..
I do not know if to blame the script or the director, or what else, but...
Everyone's performance seemed forced, definitely not to their usual standards.
I hear the book was pretty good and the movie (Two part miniseries) was way off-track. I did not read the book, but something is definitely off.
Just like the acting, the script feels forced. Like, lets throw all these great actors together to do a movie about what I heard is a good book, but it just did not work.
I finished it watching, but not because I was glued to my seat. It was mostly background noise.
Really disappointed to see all that talent go to waste.
I do not know if to blame the script or the director, or what else, but...
Everyone's performance seemed forced, definitely not to their usual standards.
I hear the book was pretty good and the movie (Two part miniseries) was way off-track. I did not read the book, but something is definitely off.
Just like the acting, the script feels forced. Like, lets throw all these great actors together to do a movie about what I heard is a good book, but it just did not work.
I finished it watching, but not because I was glued to my seat. It was mostly background noise.
Really disappointed to see all that talent go to waste.
directly buy,not rent it
eminkarakus12 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Detective Sergeant Malcolm Ainslie (Berenger), a Catholic priest turned distinguished homicide investigator for the Miami police, has been summoned to hear the confession of Elroy Doil. The convicted serial killer-who Ainslie himself was responsible for catching, is scheduled to be executed the following morning. Suspected of the string of murders but convicted on only one count, Doil wants to come clean and reveal everything he knows. Ainslie can't refuse the crimes, committed four years before, still sear his memory. The victims: the elderly. The deaths: barbaric. The killer: a self-proclaimed avenger of God. But Doil's motives are more troubling, and more baffling than just thatfor his own scars cut deep. So does the whole unknown story of the crimes that Doil has promised to reveal to Ainslie. What unfolds between the two men is a serpentine trail into both their pastsone that questions everything they think they know about each other, about crime and punishment, about truth and justice.
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