In the Electric Mist

Plot

A detective in post Katrina New Orleans area has a series of surreal encounters with a troop of friendly Confederate soldiers while investigating serial killings of local prostitutes, a 1965 lynching and corrupt local businessmen.

Release Year: 2009

Rating: 6.1/10 (7,230 voted)

Director:
Bertrand Tavernier

Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard

Storyline
Lt. Dave Robicheaux, a detective in New Iberia, Louisiana, is trying to link the murder of a local hooker to New Orleans mobster Julie (Baby Feet) Balboni, who is co-producer of a Civil War film. At the same time, after Elrod Sykes, the star of the film, reports finding another corpse in the Atchafalaya Swamp near the movie set, Robicheaux starts another investigation, believing the corpse to be the remains of a black man who he saw being murdered 35 years before.

Writers: Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski

Cast:

Tommy Lee Jones
–

Dave Robicheaux

John Goodman
–

Julie 'Baby Feet' Balboni

Peter Sarsgaard
–

Elrod Sykes

Mary Steenburgen
–

Bootsie Robicheaux

Kelly Macdonald
–

Kelly Drummond

Justina Machado
–

Rosie Gomez

Ned Beatty
–

Twinky LeMoyne

James Gammon
–

Ben Hebert

Pruitt Taylor Vince
–

Lou Girard

Levon Helm
–

General John Bell Hood

Buddy Guy
–

Sam 'Hogman' Patin

Julio Cedillo
–

Cholo Manelli

(as Julio Cesar Cedillo)

Bernard Hocke
–

Murphy Doucet

John Sayles
–

Michael Goldman

Gary Grubbs
–

Sheriff

Taglines:
No one can escape the sins of the past.

Details

Official Website:
TFM Distribution [France] |

Release Date: 15 April 2009

Filming Locations: Albania Plantation – 1842 LA 182 E., Jeanerette, Louisiana, USA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Germany: 117 min
(Berlin International Film Festival)
 |
USA: 102 min
(DVD)

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Never released theatrically in the U.S., where it went straight to DVD.

Goofs:

Factual errors:
FBI agent Gomez uses a snub nose .38 caliber revolver on duty. FBI agents have a limited list of approved pistols. That list does not include any revolvers or .38 caliber weapons.

Quotes:

[first Lines]

Dave Robicheaux:
My name's Dave Robicheaux. I'm an alcoholic. Sometimes I'm tempted to have a drink. But I never do.

User Review

Tommy Lee nails the part

Rating: 8/10


Tommy Lee Jones has either read Burke's books or he is really that
good. Unlike Alec Baldwin's Robicheaux in "Heaven's Prisoners" Jones
has the complex nature of Robicheaux's personality down. Jones can
deliver on the character's contrasting moods — the sensitivity of his
care for others versus the fire of his smoldering anger. Good flick. No
stupid CGI tricks, no political correctness, just a good old fashioned
crime mystery with a very riveting main character. There are some
unresolved elements regarding the Goodman and Beatty parts but the
dogged pursuit of the criminal element by Jones is worth the price of
admission. I've read all of Burke's books and this is as close as
anyone is going to get to myriad aspects of Dave Robicheaux's tortured
soul. Burke fans disappointed by "Heaven's Prisoners" should see this
one.