An enjoyable Caribbean mystery

Tweekums

Chief Xavier Quinn is in charge of policing on a relaxed, unnamed Caribbean island. He doesn't expect too much trouble but that changes when a body is found in a Jacuzzi. The victim has had his throat cut so it is clearly murder. Plenty of people are keen to point the finger of blame at Maubee, a local ne'er-do-well who was also a childhood friend of Quinn. There is also an unseemly desire to wrap the case up as quickly as possible; the owner of the hotel complex where the man was killed doesn't want his other guests upset and the island's governor doesn't want the tourist industry damaged. Quinn however is determined to properly investigate the case properly and as he does so he crosses paths with a Central American hit-man, a dodgy CIA operative and a case full of US $10,000 bills.

If you are looking for a gritty cop drama then this isn't the film for you; however if you want a fun, fairly light mystery then you could do a lot worse. The film nicely captures the feel of island life; all the locals appear to know each other, the pace of life is more relaxed, the scenery looks great and the sea inviting. The central mystery is interesting and while somethings can be guessed others are not too obvious. Denzel Washington does a solid job as Quinn, any time his accent slips slightly can be explained since we are told he spent three years in the US military and a year studying at Quantico. Also notable are James Fox, who plays the obnoxious hotel owner; Mimi Rogers who plays his wife; M. Emmet Walsh, who plays the dodgy CIA man and Norman Beaton, who plays the governor. Robert Townsend is also great as the elusive Maubee, he steals every scene he is in as this larger than life character. The film has a good soundtrack that adds to the Caribbean feel and some solid if mostly unspectacular action… not that it is the sort of film that demands lots of action. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody wanting an undemanding mystery set in a scenic location.

score 7/10

Tweekums 30 June 2017

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3742261/