ishani_verma
I mostly liked this movie for James Spader's terrific performance as an enigmatic and powerful lawyer. Love the kind of intensity and passion he brings to his every role. Matt Davis on the other hand gives a very insipid performance. He is the weakest actor in the entire cast and cld not hold his own before some of the other accomplished actors, specially Spader and Coyote. The girls have hardly anything to do in the movie sadly.The story is different and manages to keep the viewers engaged, though the end seemed a bit implausible. If only the screen play had been a bit tighter and someone better had been cast in Harrison's role, it wld have worked even better. Still, I wld say the movie is worth the watch for Spader's work
mykesmagik1
first it was an interesting movie I saw it on TV late at night. now I live in Spokane where it took place and saw several things that are wrong. first when the main characters wife stopped on the bridge over the river and thru the bag into the Spokane river she would not have been allowed on that bridge. next the detective once the main character said he wanted a lawyer should have stopped his questioning. next there is no smoking in a public building like the police station so him smoking a cigar in the interrogation room is illegal. so far that is what I have seen and only half way thru the movie. did you see any other things that might have been wrong if you live in Spokane.
Peter Grunbaum
I'm surprised this movie has got such a high rating. It starts out very promising with some nice images in the rain. In fact, it is extremely fascinating about until the time when he gets back to his wife and they begin talking. After that the movie falls apart little by little, until it becomes so borderline non-sensible that I just had to turn it off. It is not a matter of "plot twists" as some viewer suggested. Obviously, it is a question of just not being able to put a decent plot together. I see an alarming trend in the new DVD-market where many movies are put out quicker and easier to DVD than it was possible in the good old video days. American horror has suffered in recent years, and did not improve with the pathetic remakes of brilliant Asian horror. Anyway, "Shadow of Fear" is not a horror-movie. It is hardly even a movie. If it had only lasted until he got back to his wife, and she then turned into a demon or something; then it would have been a good "Twilight Zone"-episode but when a movie-plot collapses like that in one superfluous scene after the other then it becomes irrelevant to watch. As one viewer suggested, we are never told what this "organisation" does. I think, this is a major problem. On the back of the DVD it said something about a secret "cult"-organisation with big power. It sounded promising but in the movie this organisation seems completely devoid of power, so what's the point?
jotix100
Rick Cowan's "Shadow of Fear" showed up on cable recently. The only thing that attracted us to watch it was the presence of James Spader, Peter Coyote and Aidan Quinn, perhaps the best known actors in the cast. This film written by Matthew Hollaway and Arthur Marcum, will test even the most patient viewer's patience! First of all, the screen play is vague in explaining what we are watching.The opening sequence shows us Harrison sitting near the table where his father-in-law and his cronies, presided by the creepy William Ashbury are discussing things that probably Harrison can hear, yet, he is not invited to participate in the discussion. He is given a drink, but when he goes to pay, the waiter shows him that it's already been paid by Ashbury. He then goes home on a rain storm. The moment he gets distracted, he hits the man standing in the middle of the road. What to do? Call the police? No, instead Harrison disposes the body not too far from the road, a move that will carry terrible consequences for this young man.This being said, sounds like the premise of a good mystery film, but instead, the writers have complicated the story in such a way, that at times, one wonders with incredulity all the twists and turns in a plot that doesn't ultimately prove anything at all. By not making clear the activities of the group, we start losing interest in the film, and nothing that is done later on to explain why everything happened makes sense.James Spader doesn't add anything to his otherwise excellent career in the movies. Ditto for Peter Coyote, Aidan Quinn, and the rest of the cast. Matthew Davis who is at the center of the story appears to be miscast for the role of Harrison. Perhaps with a stronger lead could have made more sense.
AD
