THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES: FAMILY PORTRAIT

Australia, 2017, 110 minutes, Colour.
Craig Mc Lachlan, Nadine Garner, Joel Tobeck, Anna Mc Gahan, John Wood, Belinda Mc Clory, Rick Donald.
Directed by Ian Barry.

The Dr Blake Mysteries is a popular television series for the Australian Broadcasting Commission for over four years. This telemovie brought the ABC contract to a close and the series moved to the commercial college Channel 7.

The film is set in the postwar period, attention to set design, clothing, fashions, cars… And is set in the city of Ballarat with frequent excursions to Melbourne.

Craig Mc Lachlan is the country doctor, a good reputation for caring for local patients, especially in the mansion inherited from his family. He is regularly called in to consult on murder cases. In this film, he is about to marry his partner, Jean, Nadine Garner.

The film opens with a wedding but with a sinister ending, the death of the groom and the anger of his father. It emerges that he is the victim of a scam and his new wife and her father are suspected. It emerges, as audiences might guess, that they are not father and daughter. But the audience will not anticipate that she is pregnant. When the father dies, initially suspiciously but later deemed as death through natural causes, Doctor Blake is asked to go to Melbourne to find out more and, while is in Melbourne, and Jean is buying a wedding dress for their forthcoming wedding, he investigates the connection of a cousin and her death.

The various complications, of course – but audiences will probably not anticipate who the actual killer is. Just as the film began with the wedding, it ends with a very happy wedding, the mother-in-law willing to look after the new child, and Doctor Blake back from his honeymoon, immediately called to work.

1. The popularity of the television series? Over 70 years? A feature film?

2. The period settings, the city of Ballarat, visits to Melbourne, Melbourne trams, roads, signs? The mansion in Ballarat, interiors? The police? The hotel? Prison? The musical score?

3. The title, the repercussions for the family? Murders, illegitimacy, reconciliation?

4. The character of Lucien Blake? Age, experience, memories of his father, his father’s sternness, breaking of his engagement, not contacting his father for 20 years? Finding his letters? His regrets? His relationship with Jean? The preparations for the wedding? His practice, and dealing with people? The consultation with the police? His being warned off, being brought back in? His examination of the murder site? The evidence? The autopsy? The encounter with Milton, the clash? Interviews with Harriet? His aunt Dorothy, her concern about her niece, getting him to search in Melbourne? Finding the flat, the dead body? The revelation that the niece had a mental breakdown and was in the institution, bringing his aunt and her gratitude? The death of Milton? The death of Tony, his regrets? Tony’s widow and her anger with Harriet? The solution of the case, his discussions with the maid, her identity? Her attack? The happiness of the wedding, the honeymoon – and his being called back to work?

5. Jean, her relationship with Lucien, the different rooms, her support of his work, confidante? Buying the wedding dress – but Rose wearing it? The support of the family? The wedding, the honeymoon, the return?

6. Edward and Harriet, the wedding ceremony? The aftermath? Tony and his criticisms of his son? Edward and his plan to get the money from his father, discussions with the lawyer, his being cut off? The best man and his cynical remarks? The former girlfriend, gatecrashing, her being taken out? The tensions of the wedding? Lucien and Jean and their leaving?

7. Harriet, swimming, the discovery of Edward’s body? The garden dirt on the sheets? Her being arrested? Her father, in the bar, the clash with Lucien? His being found murdered? Tony and his antipathy, wanting the truth, asking Lucien to go to Melbourne?

8. The visits to Melbourne, the police and their collaboration? The evidence?

9. The truth about Milton, the conman, his working in partnership with Harriet’s sister, his killing her? Harriet being distraught? Her being pregnant, the initial clash with Susan, Susan helping her to bring up the child?

10. The revelation about the maid, her being Tony’s daughter, being cut off, the threat of exposure? Her jealousy of Edward? Knowing his plans? Killing him, the evidence? Her
being blackmailed by Milton and her killing him? Tony dying of natural causes? The discussion with Lucien, the exposure of the truth?

11. The attractiveness of the period setting and atmosphere? The characters? The tagline about two weddings and funerals?