In the Electric Mist

In the Electric Mist
Film poster
Directed byBertrand Tavernier
Screenplay by
  • Jerzy Kromolowski
  • Mary Olson-Kromolowski
Based onIn the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead
by James Lee Burke
Produced by
  • Frédéric Bourboulon
  • Michael Fitzgerald
Starring
CinematographyBruno de Keyzer
Edited by
  • Thierry Derocles
  • Larry Madaras
  • Roberto Silvi
Music byMarco Beltrami
Distributed byTFM Distribution
Release dates
  • 7 February 2009 (2009-02-07) (Berlinale)
  • 15 April 2009 (2009-04-15) (France)
Running time
  • 112 minutes International version
  • 102 minutes U.S. edit
Countries
  • France
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$7.9 million[1]

In the Electric Mist (French title: Dans la brume électrique) is a 2009 French/American mystery drama film directed by Bertrand Tavernier, and written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski based on the novel In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke; it stars Tommy Lee Jones in the lead role of Louisiana police detective Dave Robicheaux.[2]

The film has never been released cinematically in the United States, only in Europe and Asia. It was shown twice on just one evening in author Burke's hometown of New Iberia, Louisiana. A trimmed-down version (102:00 minutes NTSC), cut by the studio, was released direct-to-DVD in the United States.[3] A longer director's cut version (112:23 minutes) was released in the rest of the world[4] and premiered at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.[5] In 2009, the director's cut version won the Grand Prix at the first "Festival International du Film Policier de Beaune", which is the continuation of the "Festival du Film Policier de Cognac."[6] It opened on 15 April 2009 in France to positive reviews,[7] while reviews for the American version were mostly positive (64% on Rotten Tomatoes).[8]

In December 2009, Tavernier released a book titled Pas à Pas dans la Brume Électrique (Step by Step into the Electric Mist), which is a day-by-day account of the shooting of this movie.[9]

In the Electric Mist is a sequel to 1996's Heaven's Prisoners, also adapted from a Burke novel. The character of Dave Robicheaux at that time was an ex-homicide detective in the swamplands of Louisiana, and was portrayed by Alec Baldwin.

The film marked the acting debut of musician Buddy Guy as Sam "Hogman" Patin.[10]

  1. ^ "In the Electric Mist (2009) - JPBox-Office". www.jpbox-office.com.
  2. ^ Rebecca Leffler (1 May 2007). "'Mist' opportunity for Tavernier". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 September 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Amazon.com: In the Electric Mist: Ned Beatty, John Goodman, Levon Helm, Tommy Lee Jones, Peter Sarsgaard, Bertrand Tavernier: Movies & TV". Amazon. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  4. ^ Jean-Luc Douin and Thomas Sotinel (11 April 2009). "Dans la brume electrique: un conflit, deux films de Tavernier". Le Monde. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
  5. ^ Ed Meza (15 January 2009). "Berlin festival adds to main section". Variety. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Anecdotes du film Dans la brume électrique - AlloCiné". allocine.fr. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Critiques Presse pour le film Dans la brume électrique - AlloCiné". allocine.fr. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  8. ^ "In the Electric Mist - Rotten Tomatoes". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  9. ^ Aurélien Ferenczi (4 November 2009). "Je règle mon pas sur celui de Bertrand Tavernier". Télérama. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  10. ^ Donald Liebenson (29 March 2009), Buddy Guy is play-acting, not playing, in 'Electric Mist', The Chicago Tribune, accessed 17 November 2019