Jesse Stone: No Remorse

No Remorse, the latest installment of the magnificent Jesse Stone series is only for those who love good character driven drama performed by some of today's greatest character actors. And its for those who can appreciate lens work which teases our senses with charming Cape Cod scenery in contrast to gritty Boston backdrops. The multiple story lines keep it moving, some stories meandering through the work like a brook through the salt meadows, still others rushing with the force of a North Atlantic tide. But all the stories flow in the same direction, some to a conclusion and others to a continuance... like stories do in real life. And as in real life, Jesse's flawed character remains but we can forgive him. After all, who among us has not experienced a broken heart, if not a broken spirit? And who has not witnessed the struggle of loved ones with substance abuse? Talented, productive people with a problem... we have all known one and in some cases we have been one. And so we can all root for Jesse and in doing so we root for ourselves.

I have read all the novels and have seen all the movies with Tom Selleck. He will always be remembered as Magnum P.I., but Jesse Stone is his very best work. If you are looking for loads of action No Remorse will not fit the bill. It has excellent characters, very smart dialog and great performances. I am tired of reading how this series is slow. I don't want car chases and super human cops kicking down doors. Tom Selleck's Jesse is flawed, human and holding on for dear life. The supporting case is first rate, William Devane, Saul Rubinek (whose character is very much wounded like Jesse), Stephen McHattie as the State Homicide Captain, Kathy Baker as Rose and Kohn Sudduth as Luther are all excellent, nothing blazing, but the perfect touch by each in support of Tom Selleck. Another under rated performance is William Saddler as Gino Fish, his cat and mouse game with Jesse is always interesting to watch. In No Remorse, Gino lets his his guard down ever so slightly to Jesse, SLIGHTLY, their scenes together are superb. I look forward to Tom Selleck's Jesse Stone, is in many ways the movies characterizations are superior to the novels. That is very hard to do. In No Remorse Jesse is still suspended as Paradise Police Chief, he is drinking heavily. There is a crime wave in town and Luther and Rose are prohibited from talking to Jesse. Capt Healy calls on Jesse for help with apparent serial killer in Boston. The dialog and performances are excellent and my only disappointment was the ending. Of course the ending is the set up for the next Jesse Stone movie Innocents Lost. My final note is that this web site does not make note of this production. My understanding is that production is complete and another movie is being readied for filming.

It has been a long time since I watched a series with such a delight. The Jesse Stone series is surely going into TV-History. It is beyond time and will be watchable even in 50 years from now. Tom Selleck is an icon of the 80's, but I'm sure he will be remembered for these wonderful movies. Tom is playing with minimalism, but every word, look, and breath is telling more than any short handed written hip cop series can say.

The pictures and the music are leading you into the small town world perfectly. If you are open for it, you can dive in and follow.

Even from an European perspective I can tell, that America can be proud of such a quality TV-work.

Jesse Stone: No Remorse is a movie that chooses substance over style. The movie stays away from tons of action scenes, impressive camera angles and CGI. Instead this is a movie with a story that actually focuses on the story (consisting mainly of dialogue). The movie is labeled as a crime/mystery but personally I would label it more as a drama centering around burned out detective Stone's life and his interactions with other interesting characters in his small town, and a subplot about the solving of a couple of murder cases and robberies. The subplot isn't as thorough though. Therefore I advice people that are going to watch this movie to not expect to watch a complex 'whodunit' movie. I haven't seen the previous installments of the Jesse Stone series but I can say that in the way this movie was presented I was able to follow the plot. I must say this movie did raise my curiosity, so I might watch the other Jesse Stone movies. I'm not much of a television viewer, let alone a television film viewer. I was very surprised to see how good this movie is. I found this to be better than a lot of movies I watched in the cinema recently. The intriguing dialogue and good acting makes this charming little film a worthwhile experience. 8/10

We thought that Jesse Stone No Remorse was excellent. Tom Selleck is at his best playing Jesse and he is as handsome as ever!!! We were a little frustrated at the ending but will just have to wait until Innocents Lost airs. Jesse is very methodical in looking at crime scene videos and he is very adept at recreating the actual crime scenes. I love the way he interacts with Rose. Maybe in the next instalment, Innocents Lost, he will become involved with Rose, and forget about his ex. Hopefully, at the hearing, Jesse, Rose and Luthor will be reinstated. The casting of William Sadler as Gino is great. I remember him from Die Hard 2 but in Jesse Stone he is perfect in the part. He still looks to be in great shape. Can't wait for the next Jesse Stone.