NEMESIS The Final Case of Eliot Ness

Mark Deakins’s portrayal of famous lawman Eliot Ness is almost untouchable. It's glib, agile, and sometimes stilted. But so was Ness. Deakins plays Ness as moody, publicity seeking, and detached; the story’s evildoer he depicts as dark and menacing. William Bernhardt, who writes legal thrillers, has switched gears to produce a book about an actual series of grotesque murders—dubbed “The Torso Murders”—which occurred in Cleveland, Ohio, 1935-38. Ness, who was hired as public safety director in Cleveland after achieving fame for imprisoning gangster Al Capone, is drawn into the pursuit of the killer. Deakins portrays Ness as the enigma he was; he's really smart about some things—like captivating the press—but totally clueless about others—like pleasing his lonely wife. Still for those of us who were once touched by “The Untouchables," Berhardt and Deakins add another dimension to their story. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]