Janek Gets The Scent of Death
Whilst on vacation in Canada where he meets the attractive forensic psychiatrist Monique (Helen Shaver - The Color of Money), New York detective Frank Janek (Richard Crenna - Hot Shots! Part Deux) receives a call from his Chief (Philip Bosco) as his goddaughter Jess (Neve Campbell) has been murdered. Returning back to the city immediately Frank is told he can't be involved with the investigation as the methodical Boyce (John Vernon) is in charge and also the FBI are involved as they believe Jess was the 8th victim of a serial killer, but Frank is not going to take no for an answer. Discovering Jess had a deviant pastime as well as an evasive therapist, Dr. Archer (Tyne Daly - The Enforcer) Frank tries to piece it all together and find the connection that the FBI can't.
I didn't realise this till I was half way though it but "The Forget-Me-Not Murders" is actually part of a series of movies starring Richard Crenna as detective Frank Janek. The good news is that if like me you have never watched any of these other Janek movies you won't be lost by what is going on because for the most the story is self contained. Oh you do wonder why Janek seems so down at the start or why he would flirt with an attractive woman but the actual crime story works as a stand alone movie. But having said that Richard Crenna plays Janek in such an easy going way with various layers from humour to hurt that it makes you want to watch those other movies.
What this also means is that we are in very familiar territory here when it comes to the movies style, think "Columbo" but with fewer quirks and that is the sort of thing going on in "The Forget-Me-Not Murders". But what is so good about it is that it is not obvious who is behind Jess's murder and why and so every now and then we get fed another clue such as seeing the killer's identity. Yet when we do we still don't know why, we may see a connection when Frank looks through some photographs but there is still plenty of mystery.
Aside from Richard Crenna who really is fantastic as Janek "The Forget-Me-Not Murders" features many other recognizable faces. Tyne Daly, Philip Bosco, John Vernon and Cliff Gorman all show up in parts and in many ways help ground this movie in the era that it is set.
What this all boils down to is that "The Forget-Me-Not Murders" is a pretty decent little crime investigation movie which whilst part of a series works well as a stand alone movie.
