The Art of Murder

The Art of Murder is a 1999 American-Canadian thriller television film that first aired on the network television on December 14, 1999. It stars Michael Moriarty, Joanna Pacula, Boyd Kestner and Peter Onorati.

Plot
Elizabeth Sheridan (Joanna Pacula), a painter, is married to Cole (Michael Moriarty), who runs a yacht-building company. When Cole becomes abusive, Elizabeth begins an affair with Tony Blanchard (Boyd Kestner), the firm's top designer. When a blackmailer (Peter Onorati) produces incriminating pictures of her and Tony, she and Tony agree to pay, but when murder gets added to the mix, she becomes the obvious suspect.

Cast

 * Michael Moriarty as Cole Sheridan
 * Joanna Pacula as Elizabeth Sheridan
 * Boyd Kestner as Tony Blanchard
 * Peter Onorati as Willie Kassel
 * Nathaniel Deveaux as Sheriff Powers Crawford
 * Kathryn Anderson as Tina
 * Betty Linde as Ora Mae Howell
 * Mark Brandon as Ken Lothrop
 * Thomas Miller as Tommy Lothrop
 * Jaclynn Grad as Casey McHugh
 * John Nelson as Trooper
 * John Tierney as Burton Hiasen
 * Kim Stern as Waitress

Reception
In a review for Radio Times, David Parkinson said in regards of Joanna Pacula's appearance in the film, "Ever since she hit Hollywood in 1983's Gorky Park, Polish-born Joanna Pacula has been slowly sliding down the rankings. This is a pity, as she's an incredibly physical actress in every sense of the word. She certainly deserves better than this tepid thriller." Parkinson summarized the film's plot as "There's a couple of twists that just about pass muster. But whether you'll consider them worth waiting for, after an interminably slow opening, is debatable."