MURDER IN THE MIRROR
US, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jane Seymour, James Farentino, Robert Desiderio, Alex Mendoza.
Directed by James Keach.
Murder in the Mirror is a fairly conventional television murder mystery. It was executive-produced by husband and wife team Jane Seymour as star and James Keach as director. Sometimes the film is rather overwrought, perhaps too obvious and unsubtle for this kind of murder mystery. The characters are painted in broad strokes, James Farentino as the sceptical cop, Jane Seymour as the mysterious suspect who mellows, the good-hearted prostitute, the drug-high pimp, the sympathetic lawyer.
However, it has its interest with the psychological setting, the film being considered not only as a police investigation but as a psychological case study.
1. Popular entertainment? Television murder mystery? Psychological case study?
2. The American city settings, affluence and mansions, the seedy side of the inner city, the police precincts? Musical score and atmosphere?
3. The style of the film and the screenplay, obvious in character delineation, melodramatic in presentation, straightforward and sometimes overwrought?
4. The structure of the film: Mary and the accusations, the flashbacks about her life? The continued investigations, her suspicions, her following through? The solution and the further flashbacks indicating what happened?
5. Jane Seymour as Mary, initially very poised, the confrontation with Frank Russo, the interrogation, the accusations, getting her lawyer? The flashbacks to her life, hairdresser, ambitions, meeting Paul, working with the children, the proposal, the marriage, the tensions and his possessiveness? Her studies and her success? Her independence? The gift of the car, her own office, using her own name? The tensions within the marriage? His death? The witness seeing her and the dress, getting in the car, the later discovery of the car, the body, the gun, her fingerprints? The seemingly watertight case?
6. Frank Russo and his investigations, brusque, antagonistic towards the wealthy, his own three marriages? Nick, his assistant, trying to temper Russo, accused of inexperience, his sympathy towards Mary? The interrogations, the evidence, Russo and his incessant pursuit, the clashes with the lawyer? The fingerprints on the gun, his having to change his mind, further investigations, the pursuit of Rick, arriving in time, his attempted apology? Nick and his support and Mary's gratitude?
7. Mary and the investigations, her husband's office, the cheques, the tickets? Discovering Rose and her going to visit her, discovering the truth about Paul and his upbringing? His whole fantasy world and creating an ideal lifestyle? The Pygmalion effect and his moulding her? The dissatisfaction with his first marriage, his seeking people to mould? The discovery of Rita, her resemblance to Mary?
8. Going into the sleazy bars, on the streets, information from the prostitutes? The bars? Finding Rita, her being bashed? Mary taking her to hospital? Finding her again, listening to the truth about her husband? Rick and his attack, Mary shooting him?
9. The truth about Paul, his not going to help out at the shelter, his lies, his wanting to mould people? Living in a fantasy? The prostitutes and their liking of him? Giving money to Rick? The final confrontation, wanting to take Rita away, the shooting and the dumping of the body? Rita's fear?
10. The resolution of the mystery, Mary and her new life, her friendship with Rita? The support of her old friend and getting advice from her? The apologies from the police?
