Mind of a Victim
Callain Pearson (Nicollette Sheridan - Escape from Harm) is on the case of the "Rose Petal" serial killer who has just struck again, except this time his victim isn't dead, she is lying in hospital in a coma and whilst the chances of her waking are slim it opens up an interesting possibility. Callain's other half is scientist Arthur Lefcourt (Peter Coyote - Child's Cry) who is seeing his results in transplanting memories by transplanting cells from one rat in to another. After some persuading Arthur agrees to take brain cells from the victim and implant them in Callain, completely on the hush hush as no one must know. As Callain starts to experience the final memories of the victim she not only starts to get a series of hunches on who the killer is but also finds herself in increasing danger the closer she gets to solving the case.
You know how there are movies which see people who are blind having eye transplants only to be haunted by visions brought on from organ memory. Well "Murder in My Mind" is just a variation on the theme with Callain able to see the memories of a serial killer victim thanks to some brain cell implants. But that is not the only variation as in this case Callain is a cop who uses the memories to help her in solving a case. Unfortunately whilst the idea is okay it doesn't actually add much to the movie as Callain gets revelations such as realising the victim knew the assailant by name. It ends up a gimmick even when it starts to change her persona.
The thing is that beyond the gimmick of the brain cell transplant what we have left in "Murder in My Mind" is the usual sort of thriller which sees Callain ending up in danger the closer she gets to revealing who the serial killer is. But that is where "Murder in My Mind" falls apart on various levels starting with Nicollette Sheridan playing Callain in such a frosty manner that you don't care what happens to her. You also don't really care much about discovering who the serial killer is, truth be told I didn't even try to work it out. But there is also a distinct lack of atmosphere which means you don't feel the drama or the danger when any comes along.
What this all boils down to is that "Murder in My Mind" ends up a generic female detective in trouble drama with a gimmick involving memory cell transplants. Take out the gimmick and what you have left is weak with a lack of atmosphere or thrills.
