Criminal Instinct - Liebe bis in den Tod

This is the first film in the popular Joanne Kilborn mysteries, based loosely on the novels by Gail Bowen. Wendy Crewson's portrayal of the widowed ex-cop turned college professor feels genuine. We see her struggling with raising her children alone, grappling with her own loss and the unanswered questions surrounding her husband's murder and dealing with trauma from her own childhood. When her best friend from childhood reappears, and people around her fall prey to murder, Crewson plays the inquisitive friend with relentless sincerity and conviction. She makes us believe that she is just an average "every woman" who has the determination of a relentless blood hound when it comes to finding the answers to all the unknown questions. The fact that she can portray the hard nosed investigator/suburban mother/best friend/daughter of an alcoholic mother with seamless grace and ease is just another testament of her amazing talent.