THREE BLIND MICE (ED McBAIN’S THREE BLIND MICE)

US, 2001, 85 minutes, Colour.
Brian Dennehy, Debrah Farentino, Mary Stuart Masterson, Rosalind Chao, John Doman, Glenn Plummer, Jason Beghe, Cindy Oliver.
Directed by Christopher Leitch.

This is a film based on the Matthew Hope novels by Ed Mc Bain. Brian Dennehy, convincing in the role, is not the actor one might imagine while reading the Matthew Hope novels.

The Hope novels are set in Florida and this film captures the atmosphere of south Florida. It is a murder mystery. It is set amongst the affluent of the area and the justice department of the state. It also focuses on the Vietnamese refugees and their settlement in that part of the United States.

The film opens with the death of three young Vietnamese who had been acquitted of attacking a wealthy woman. Her husband, a Vietnam veteran and a trained assassin for the American military, threatens to kill them. What emerges is a rather complicated story, the husband, of course, being innocent. However, the final twist is perhaps a bit more farfetched than one might have imagined.

John Doman and Debrah Farentino are the couple. Mary Stuart Masterson is the prosecutor brought in from the northern states. Glenn Plummer has a role as a private investigator for Matthew Hope. There is a very pleasant performance from Rosalind Chao (on so many of the Star Trek series) as a translator with a personal interest in Matthew Hope.

Standard material, interesting because of the background of Ed Mc Bain, different from his 87th Precinct novels. Director Christopher Leitch made Teen Wolf 2 and Courage Mountain in his early career but concentrated on television material.

1. An entertaining murder mystery? For the television audience? Adaptation of Ed Mc Bain’s novel?

2. The Florida settings, the affluent mansion, the justice department, Matthew Hope and his world? The world of the Vietnamese migrants? Musical score?

3. The title? The three men who were killed? The opening, their deaths, the playing cards? The television information about their acquittal? Their alleged assault on Josie Leeds? Her husband’s threatening to kill them?

4. Matthew Hope, his friendship with Leeds? The background of their time in Vietnam? Leeds as a trained assassin, his skills at his job? Hope defending him as a lawyer in Vietnam? Their friendship? The friendship with Josie? His interview with Leeds, asking about his guilt or innocence, taking on the case? Urged on to by Josie?

5. Carter Simmons, his role as prosecutor, his political ambitions? His being in Boston? His return, intervening in the conversation with Patricia Demming? His wanting the case solved quickly? The credibility of the revelation of his relationship with Josie, his brutality towards her, her love for him, his committing the murders?

6. Matthew Hope and the encounter with Patricia, the crash? Their discussions? Her strong stances, her skills and training? The sharing of evidence? Her wanting to promote a deal? Her reaction to Carter Simmons’ intervention?

7. Matthew Hope at work, his daughter working for him, her skills in getting information, her wanting him to listen to the serenity tapes in the car? His relying on Warren Chambers for information? His going to the proprietor of the dock? The information about the car? The number of witnesses? Going to the Vietnamese witnesses? Meeting Li Mei Chen? Their friendship, the work together? Her dismay at the killing of the old man?

8. Warren, his ability to get information, the girl at the bar, the proprietor of the dock? Taping the voices and checking them out? His going to Josie’s house, encountering her brother and his suspicions? His following Matthew, saving him when Carter Simmons attacked him?

9. Josie, her role, encouraging Matthew? The revelation of the truth, her inconsistencies, the flashback of what happened – and her fabrication? The reality? Her making Leeds a victim? Her defying Hope, her arrest? Carter Simmons and the jockey, the murder of the old Vietnamese? The reason because of the numberplate, the Vietnamese alphabet, solving the problem and identifying it? His getting into jungle gear, making Hope crash, the jungle pursuit, Warren Chambers saving Hope?

10. A gallery of interesting characters? The investigation and the techniques? The murder mystery – with the touch of the farfetched?