Columbo investigates the apparent drowning of a famous painter's first wife.Columbo investigates the apparent drowning of a famous painter's first wife.Columbo investigates the apparent drowning of a famous painter's first wife.
Isabel García Lorca
- Julie
- (as Isabel Lorca)
Frank Wiltse
- Officer
- (as Frank L. Wiltse)
Joey Banks
- Paramedic
- (uncredited)
Jean-Paul Vignon
- Maitre d'
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe real painter of Columbo's portrait is Jaroslav Gebr. Gebr was born in Eastern Europe and fled the Communists, arriving in Hollywood. He began in the art departments of Fox and MGM and eventually ended up at Universal's Television studios, where he led their Art Department for years.
- GoofsColumbo lifts Dog to look over the fence at the ocean. He then lets go of the dog, yet the dog remains in place at the top of the fence. The dog is apparently standing on some sort of hidden platform, yet no platform is visible in the previous shot from behind him.
- Quotes
Vanessa Barsini: You're like a swollen house guest who eats up all the food, and while the rest of us go hungry, you complain about heartburn.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf (1990)
Featured review
An OK Columbo film but not one of the better ones
Some say he is a contrary sort but painter Max Barsini is certainly a bit of a character. He lives with his current wife and his model under one roof, while his ex-wife lives next door. It is a complicated situation that seems to work quite easily until that is, Max's ex starts seeing her psychologist and potentially revealing a secret from his past. To ensure that this does not happen, Max kills her and makes it look like a swimming accident. However for Columbo it doesn't quite add up and he starts asking just one more question to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The Columbo films are enjoyable to those that enjoy them mainly because they just follow the same reliable formula. With the new Columbo films some have tried to vary this with differing degrees of success. Here we have a fairly straight shot at the formula with the usual cat and mouse games, a new world or career for Columbo to be interested in (or feign interest in) and a murder to be solved. At this level the plot does work and fans of the series will find some stuff to enjoy but I didn't think it was one of the better of the series. The dream sequence stuff put me off a little bit and the development of the case left much to be desired I must confess I wasn't totally engaged in it at any point. That said I did find it distracting and it had enough moments that were typically Columbo to suffice.
The cast are reasonably good. Falk is as enjoyable as ever and he works well with the material. Bauchau is not as good as the series usually demands but he is still a fun presence. Support is not as good from Flanagan, Danese and Lorca but generally they are good enough to do the job. The chemistry between the lead two is pretty good and I would have quite liked to see them served with better material.
Overall this is an OK Columbo film that will please fans of the series but seems unlikely to be good enough to win over new ones. The acting from the lead two is good enough to do the job even if the material is not quite as consistently engaging as at times it is. Worth a look for the formula but there are better Columbo films.
The Columbo films are enjoyable to those that enjoy them mainly because they just follow the same reliable formula. With the new Columbo films some have tried to vary this with differing degrees of success. Here we have a fairly straight shot at the formula with the usual cat and mouse games, a new world or career for Columbo to be interested in (or feign interest in) and a murder to be solved. At this level the plot does work and fans of the series will find some stuff to enjoy but I didn't think it was one of the better of the series. The dream sequence stuff put me off a little bit and the development of the case left much to be desired I must confess I wasn't totally engaged in it at any point. That said I did find it distracting and it had enough moments that were typically Columbo to suffice.
The cast are reasonably good. Falk is as enjoyable as ever and he works well with the material. Bauchau is not as good as the series usually demands but he is still a fun presence. Support is not as good from Flanagan, Danese and Lorca but generally they are good enough to do the job. The chemistry between the lead two is pretty good and I would have quite liked to see them served with better material.
Overall this is an OK Columbo film that will please fans of the series but seems unlikely to be good enough to win over new ones. The acting from the lead two is good enough to do the job even if the material is not quite as consistently engaging as at times it is. Worth a look for the formula but there are better Columbo films.
helpful•125
- bob the moo
- Apr 2, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Selbstbildnis eines Mörders
- Filming locations
- Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA(Basset hound show and picnic)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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