JANE DOE: THE HARDER THEY FALL

US, 2006, 85 minutes, Colour.
Lea Thompson, Joe Penny, William R. Moses, Jessy Schram, Zac Shada, Dorian Harewood, Helen Slater, David Groh, Muse Watson.
Directed by Lea Thompson.

This film is the sixth in the very popular series. And it is directed by Lea Thompson, the star.

At this stage, audiences had become fully familiar with the general pattern of the films, Jane Doe and her home life as the real Cathy Davis, happily married, the two children, with various home problems occurring during each film; and the crime, Frank Darnell calling on Cathy to help, the mystery, steps in investigation, the clause, the puzzle, the solution. And, by this stage, husband and children are aware of what she does.

In this case there is a small parallel to The Murder on the Orient Express, several suspects, involved, not in the murder, but in benefiting financially from the death. In fact, the actual villain is initially not one of the suspects. She is played, with some glamour, by Helen Slater.

The plot goes into the world of finance and of the media.

An entertaining film in the series.

1. The popularity of this television series? Lea Thompson as Jane Doe? As an agent, as housewife, as wife and mother? Solving puzzles, solving cases? Lea Thompson directing this film?

2. The city settings, the homes, the offices of the agency? The boat? The rooftop? Action sequences, chases, helicopter? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on the millionaire, his privacy, greed, the secret about his son?

4. Cathy, at home, her daughter and the school project, investigating finance, her investing real money? The collapse of the company? Her concern, asking her brother to help? Cleaning the garage, the garage sale? The need for more money? The fact that their parents knew all the time? The shares going up?

5. The boat, Jim and his security role, trying to retain sobriety? Going on deck, his vision shaking, the millionaire in the water, Vasquez diving in, rescuing him? The next morning, the reality, his being fired?

6. Jim going home, his wife, her support, her dismay, leaving him? His going to see Frank Darnell? Enlisting Cathy? The meal, disbelief? his being upset? His participation in the investigation? Going back into action, the former agent? Hopeful re-employment?

7. The captain of the boat, giving information, his being sacked, the boat being sold?

8. The media, the film-maker and the source of this information? The film of his being sent away from the boat? The later visit, his giving information, his documentary after the man’s death? The anagram for the informer?

9. Television, seeing the millionaire on television, the interview? Allegedly life? Cathy going to investigate, pretending to be a walk Wall Street journalist? The host being flattered? The information about the chair being fixed, the phone call and pretending to leave? The discussions with the host’s assistant, his being overbearing, the revelation that the interviewee was never at the station? The editing together of pieces?

10. This kind of evidence important for the time of the millionaire’s death? The coroner, going to visit them, his change of opinion?

11. The suspects: the vice presidents on board, the girlfriend? Vasquez and his being suspicious, interrogation, not liking the millionaire, following Cathy in his car? The revelation that the vice-president was the millionaire’s son, illegitimate, fostered, brought into the company? His being part of the plan? But not wanting to kill his father? The Australian, activities and the South Pacific, the girlfriend, setting up their own company, everyone taking advantage of selling shares and changing the time of death?

12. Stella Andre, not being on the boat, taking over the succession, trimming the staff, doing things herself? The interviews with Cathy? Attraction to Frank? Her explanations? Her calling the millionaire by his first name? The anagram of the source of information for the film-maker? Both Cathy and Frank suspicious, her being on the roof, the helicopter, the explanation of what she did, the illegitimate son and using him? Her gun? The arrest?

13. Satisfactory explanation of the murder, the range of clues, the working out of the puzzle?