Columbo: A Trace of Murder (1997) (TV)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Richard Levinson (creator) &
William Link (creator) ...

Release Date:

15 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

A millionaire's being threatened with a lawsuit by a man he did business with. When he gets into a fight with the man...

Plot Keywords:

Lawsuit | Millionaire | Police | Murderer | Crime Investigation

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Columbo
David Rasche	...	Patrick Kinsley
Shera Danese	...	Cathleen Calvert
Barry Corbin	...	Clifford Calvert
Raye Birk	...	Howard Seltzer
Will Nye	...	Officer Will
John Finnegan	...	Barney
Franklin Cover	...	Harry Jenkins
Alice Backes	...	Harriet Jenkins
Dion Anderson	...	Stuart March
Donna Bullock	...	Tracy Rose
John F. O'Donohue	...	Doherty
Dyana Ortelli	...	Colenari
Kymberly Newberry	...	District Attorney (as Kymberly S. Newberry)
Maury Sterling	...	Store Clerk

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Columbo is showing Pat a map, he starts to lay the map out on a desk and says "Look at this". In the very next shot he once again says the same thing, "Look at this".

Quotes:

Lt. Columbo: Three eyes see more than one.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Columbo: Ashes to Ashes (1998) (TV)

Slightly changes the formula just enough to make it feel different without losing touch with what has made Columbo successful down the years

Cathleen Calvert wants to leave her millionaire husband Clifford and set up with lover Patrick Kinsley. However a water-tight prenuptial agreement means that divorce will leave her with nothing. Killing him is deemed far too risky and obvious a crime but if only they could get him out of the way without losing access to his wealth. Luckily for them, Clifford is being threatened with a major lawsuit from accountant Howard Seltzer and Cathleen decides that the easiest thing to do would be to murder Seltzer and frame Clifford. The deed is easy and it looks like an open and shut case given how much evidence is available (thanks to the knowledge Kingsley has as a member of the police forensics team). Problem is, for Lt. Columbo, it just doesn't ring true and he just keeps digging.

With the long running Columbo formula it is tempting to try and change it and "new" Columbo films have occasionally fallen into the trap of ditching the formula and trying something new – it rarely worked. However with this film the writers have successfully varied the formula while still retaining enough of it to avoid losing the elements of the series that make it so successful. It is a bit of a problem that the plot is built on a lot of coincidences and illogical risks but generally the film manages to keep things working so that I just accepted the events. Having said that, it didn't ring true that Kinsley, having left enough forensic evidence to frame the pope, would feel he has to get more involved in the case. Such things aside though the film is an engaging mystery that is fun to watch because we get to see Columbo at work, going after his main suspect as per formula but also having more out there to engage his mind and take him in a different direction. It is a nice touch and, like I said, it allows the film to do what the series normally do while also doing things differently.

Falk works with this well and embraces the chance to show his character working internally with the slightest little clues. He delivers some nice comic touches throughout and, as usual, seems totally comfortable within his own skin. The casting of the two male supports is good. Corbin is a solid presence and he provides the tension with Columbo while Rasche provides the "I'll help you solve this" element of the formula – so together they provide the usual stuff but the fact that it is split makes it more interesting. Danese is less convincing but the film doesn't put too much on her. There isn't much support to speak of and generally the main three male actors do well to carry it with good performances.

Overall then a pretty enjoyable Columbo film. Although the change in formula comes with illogical devices and unlikely setups it does generally work and it presents the formula while also changing it. As many of the new Columbo films show, changing the formula is a risky business but here it pulls it off.