Played as a melodrama, "Jump: The Philippe Halsman Story" tells the real-life story of a well-known photographer whose pictures graced the cover of magazines such as "Life."

Philippe (Ben Silverstone) is shown first in the 1950s, photographing Marilyn Monroe as she jumps up and down in his studio. (Halsman remains famous for his "jump" shots of various celebrities, including Salvador Dali and Bob Hope. You may very well recognize the Monroe photo.)

Philippe is depicted as a melancholy man with a troubled past. The movie tells the true story of a murder trial in which Halsman was involved during 1928.

As a younger man, Philippe was oppressed by his lout of a father (Heinz Hoenig, "Das Boot"), who kept reminding Philippe, his mother and sister that he paid for everything in their household. This seemed to give him cause, in his own mind, to say whatever he thought and constantly mock his son for not being enough of a man.

Philippe and his father go hiking in the Tyrolean Alps, where they stay at an inn. There, Philippe sees his father carrying on with a waitress.

His father and Philippe continue to bicker along the way. The older man also continues to drink, despite his heart condition. And he continually loses his temper with Philippe. At one point, Philippe is taking photos of his father as he wades in the water. This so irritates the elder Halsman that he tosses the camera away.

That sends Philippe into a rage that results in a struggle that nearly kills his father. Later, Philippe's father does indeed turn up dead, and the audience doesn't really know what has transpired.

Attorney Richard Pressburger (Patrick Swayze) represents Philippe, who stands accused of patricide. Richard tells his client he will do everything he can to save him. But the Nazis are on the rise in Austria, and the climate is becoming unsafe for everyone who is Jewish, let alone a young Jewish man accused of murder.

This is mostly a courtroom drama. Its mystery unfolds in flashbacks and proceedings while, in the background, the changes in Austria literally sweep through the streets.

Silverstone is a terrific actor who resembles the real-life character he portrays. Swayze is effective, too, as the attorney who realizes that more than one person's life will soon be at stake in Austria.

This mystery is also history that might lead to you look up some of the incredible images from Philippe's work - just as I did.

Rating: 3 stars

Stars: Ben Silverstone, Patrick Swayze, Martine McCutcheon, Heinz Hoenig, Anja Kruse, Heinz Trixner, Christoph Schobesberger, Richard Johnson and Sybil Danning

Director and screenwriter: Joshua Sinclair

Running time: 95 minutes

Rated: Similar to a "PG-13" for violence and brief gore