Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Clint Eastwood's adaptation of John Berendt's book about an authentic murder case has become an odd, but also quite entertaining cocktail of crime story and portrayal of the eccentric inhabitants of Savannah. However, it is much too long and it lacks both tautness and focus.

A young journalist and writer, John Kelso, has been commissioned to write an article about the wealthy Jim Williams' famous Christmas party. After the party a row between Williams and his young white trash lover Billy Hanson leads to the young man's death. Soon after Williams is charged with the murder. Of course John Kelso decides to stay instead of going back to New York as he plans to carry out his own private investigation.