2 Discussions
JANE DOE: TIL DEATH DO US PART
US, 2005, 90 minutes, Colour.
Leah Thomson, Joe Penney, William R. Moses, Joseph Bologna, Antonio Sabato Jr, Ed Marinaro.
Directed by Armand Mastroianni.
Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part is one of a series of feature films for television starring Leah Thomson as Cathy Davis and Joe Penney as her NSA boss Frank Darnell. William R. Moses is her husband.
The film is conventional in its story: a mobster engineers his own death, goes into hiding and starts to kill those who have plotted against him. Finally, he discovers that it is his son who has masterminded the attacks – and in a final embrace, the son shoots his father.
Leah Thomson is at home in this role as the agent who has to act as a housewife without her husband’s knowing. It is in this film, at the end, that she reveals the truth to him. Joe Penney looks generally concerned as the NSA boss. Joseph Bologna has a good role as the ruthless Mafia type. Antonio Sabato Jr is his son.
The film is familiar material – but the focus on the female agent and the tracking down of the gangster holds the interest for an enjoyable but undemanding film.
1.The popularity of the Jane Doe series? Leah Thomson as Cathy? Her moonlighting as an agent? Her family role? Her boss? Her husband and the children?
2.The familiar material, the gangsters, the business world, arms shipments, faking deaths, hospital personnel on the payroll …?
3.The atmosphere, the television world? The world of crime and investigators?
4.Cathy’s character, with her husband and his seeming disillusionment? With her children, their problems, Susan and the band? Her being a dutiful mother? Jack, his concern, alienation? Frank going to the bar to persuade him to go home? The reconciliation and Cathy’s explanation?
5.Frank, his background, separation from his wife, dedication to his work, concern about Cathy? Going to Jack to persuade him to support Cathy?
6.Louis Angelini and his background, crime, his wives, luxury life, the wedding? His faking his own death? In the hospital, the doctor and the nurse, disguising himself as the cleaner? In hiding, his contact with his connections, with Vincent? His threats, his killings? Armand and his going to Panama, shooting him? An unsavoury character – and his meeting with his son, asking him why he had betrayed him, his son killing him?
7.Joey, his resentment towards his father, lack of affection, his mother? His business deals? The betrayal of his father? Cathy interviewing him? His killing his father – and Cathy filming it?
8.The world of criminals, Vincent, lawyers, cover-ups? The nurse, the cleaner? Their relationship, their being on the payroll? Helping in the escape?
9.Cathy, going into action, the questioning, following Joey in the car? Her disguise at the wedding? Frank’s concern about her?
10.The usual themes of crime, vengeance, punishment, justice?
JANE DOE: TILL DEATH DO US PART
US, 2000, 75 minutes, Colour.
Lea Thompson, Joe Penny, Joseph Bologna, Antonio Sabato Jr, John Ashton.
Directed by Armand Mastroianni.
Jane Doe: Til Death Do Us Part is a contribution to a series featuring Leah Thompson and Joe Penny as FBI agents. Joe Penny portrays the bureau chief. Lea Thompson portrays a housewife who was an agent, an anonymous agent (Jane Doe) and who has not revealed her work to her husband. This crisis comes to a head in this film and she explains her work.
The basic plot is familiar, double-dealings within the Mafia community. Joseph Bologna portrays a Mafia chief who disappears, is actually engineering an arms deal in Panama, falls foul of various Mafia chiefs and murders. However, it is revealed, as might be expected, that it is his son who has something of an inferiority complex who is actually engineering the attacks on his father.
The film shows the work of the FBI, undercover work, explicit work in interrogations and investigations. The film was directed by Armand Mastroianni who filmed a number of horror films in the 1980s.
1.The popularity of this kind of television film? The work of the FBI, the Mafia, investigations? Solutions?
2.The settings, the city, the Mafia homes? Ordinary homes, the FBI headquarters? The set pieces like the wedding? The hospital? The musical score?
3.The character of Catherine, her friendship with Frank, her explanation of her being an agent, working anonymously, Jane Doe? Her not telling her husband? Her relationship with her husband, his growing suspicions, antagonism towards Frank? The home scenes? The children? The daughter and her music? The husband and his going to the bar, moroseness, separate rooms, the discussion with Frank? The concert, the daughter and her singing? Success? The explanations? Catherine as a character, her work?
4.Catherine, the interrogations, the hospital? Her going under cover at the wedding?
5.Frank, the bureau chief, strong, briefing the squad, the interrogations? Speculation? His work with Catherine?
6.The Mafia chiefs, the film and the FBI studying, the explanation of all the characters and their participation? Angelini, his young wife, his son? The lawyers? The arms dealers? The attack on Angelini, his alleged murder? The giving of information to the FBI? Anonymous phone calls?
7.Angelini, his being alive, taken to the hospital? The means of his escape, the deal with the corridor cleaner? The doctor, the nurse? The doctor and his gambling debts – and his being pursued, his car going over the cliff? The janitor, his relationship with Angelini, his relationship with the nurse? Giving information to the FBI, talking with Angelini? His death?
8.Informers, undercover, the Mafia and their contacts?
9.The lawyer, his attitude towards Angelini? Angelini’s young wife, her greed, the interview with Catherine? Antagonism towards Joe?
10.Joe, his lawyers, his associates? His business deals? The revelation that he was against his father? The scene with his father, killing his father, declaring it was an accident?
11.The background of arms deals? Wealth? Hit men? A plausible plot for this kind of television thriller?
