Arthur Hailey's Detective
Arthur Hailey's Detective
PG-13 | 01 January 2005 (USA)
Arthur Hailey's Detective Trailers

Detective Sergeant Malcolm Ainslie, a Catholic priest turned distinguished investigator for the police, has agreed to hear the confession of a convicted serial killer sentenced to death in a just a matter of hours. What he promises to reveal to Ainslie is the truth behind the crimes and the reason he confessed to the one crime Ainslie doesn't even believe he committed. What unfolds between the two men is a serpentine trail into both men's pasts based on the bestseller from master storyteller Arthur Hailey.

Reviews
NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!
Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.
Billie Morin This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.
Bjorn (ODDBear) Tom Berenger plays Malcolm Ainslie, a former priest turned detective, and he has one big case on his hands. A madman is killing elderly residents in gruesome fashion and his actions seem to be somewhat borrowed form The Book of Revelations. As a former priest, Ainslie might just prove to be the perfect one to solve the case.Mixing in Ainslie's troubled personal life, Detective has a good story throughout it's running time. I can't help thinking this could have been even better had it not been a Hallmark presentation. There's no gore here (but plenty of opportunities) and the suspense seems to watered down somewhat, especially during the climax. It's totally got that TV feel to it, but director choirs are well handled by David Cass, a seasoned television director.The cast is mostly good. Tom Berenger is good as Ainslie, handling all aspects of the character well. Cybill Sheperd is fine as his wife but Annabeth Gish is completely stone-faced all the way through. It's fun to see Charles Durning but his role is a small one.Had this movie gotten the theatrical treatment it could have been one hell of a thriller. Sourced from a good book by Arthur Hailey, it really cries out for better production values and some bloody set pieces. Still, it's quite good all the same.
Ray Massart Three hours of utterly wasted time.Berenger was obviously bored as never before and utters his lines with a kind of guilty embarrassment for having accepted the part.After a succession of brutal murders by a serial killer with which the movie starts, the action and suspense grind to a halt: the police follow four possible suspects, who are all weirdos and inspired by a form of religious insanity. The very long and tedious discussions concerning the murder weapon and the repetitive and alternating confrontations between Berenger and his wife and mistress are detrimental to the dramatic intensity.Furthermore, the basic theme of the priest turned cop may have seemed like a gimmick to the producers but it doesn't work with an audience.The viewer also sees through the plot quite early on and the ending is more than predictable. There is nothing really exceptional about this movie apart from the fact that it is hard to accept that it was ever made in the first place.
Catherine Tom Berenger is once again a great detective. Like his characters Michael Keegan (Someone To Watch Over Me), Harry Dobbs (Love @ Large), Clifford DeBose (A Murder of Crows), and Rem Macy (True Blue)- his wit, take-charge attitude, and Noble authority - combined with his personal side - give depth to what could have been a staid character. Most of the supporting cast were perfectly cast. I was pleased to see that the movie kept very closely to the book, except for Malcolm's turning atheist. Was even more pleased that Hallmark did not show gruesome close-ups like was shown in Tom Berenger's Eye See You. Mr. Berenger shines in Alex Haley's Detective. A great movie to watch and re-watch :)
inancpar This is story about and ex-priest homicide detective who struggling to solve serial murders which they had references to holy bible..besides his personal relationships and problems with separated wife ( Shepherd ) and love affair with his partner ( Gish ).Although having some good and talented actors like Berenger , Gish and Shepherd this mini - series one of the worst I'd ever watched on TV recently.Nothing goes on well.Where is drama ? where is thrilling.so awful script ( characters , dialogs ) so awful directing...perfect example of third class - cheap film which has been made of American cable TV...besides sad see Cybill shepherd so old gained pounds so much...stay away...if you are not a great time waster or film masochist...and what frank Whaley is looking for such bad movie in a very useless role..