Search - First Degree on DVD

"Murder Would Be His Introduction"

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 07/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Made for cable, "First Degree" has more twists than a bag of pretzels, and is in many ways over-plotted, but for TV fare, it's entertaining, and has some interesting characters in the story. Detective Rick Mallory (Rob Lowe) is called in to investigate the murder of a rich businessman, and almost immediately falls for the beautiful widow Hadley (Leslie Hope). Before you can say "whodunit," they are madly in lust. The question that needs answering is who committed the murder? Did Hadley hire a hit man? Was it Joe the gangster? Suspicions abound, and sometimes the plot gets a little muddled, but the cast is attractive, and the lovely soundtrack by Bruce Fowler adds to the enjoyment of the film.

Det. Mallory's precinct buddies (Tom McCamus and Joseph Griffin) are clever and amusing, and most endearing is Jacob the writer (Peter Boretski), who is the only one Mallory can't fool. There's a lot of drinking, smoking, and one grisly murder scene, so this police thriller is not suitable for young children. Directed by Jeff Woolnough, written by Ron Base, and with cinematography by Glen MacPhearson, "First Degree" is sleek looking, never boring, and remembering that "it's just a TV movie" helps. Total running time is 98 minutes.
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Synopsis

Alejandra Vernon | 09/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this suspenseful detective drama, a police detective's personal involvement with a beautiful widow takes a professional turn when she is accused of murdering her husband. The gumshoe feels it is his job to prove her innocent."