Littlelep
Just wasted more than an hour of my life watching trash. Kept hoping there would be something to redeem what began with a scene that never would occur in a trial; but it just got worse. I can't say that the plot was not interesting, because the writing and the acting were so bad, I really didn't notice that there was no plot, just an ending that the writer attached a beginning and middle to in order to have a screenplay.
The one credible actor was the assistant to the defense attorney, and she disappeared at a time when she could have saved the ending.
Worse than bad, this movie never should have seen the light of day.
rbushey-17400
It's a pretty even movie with a nice factor of meh. The acting is okay from the leads but somehow better from the supporting cast members. They wanted desperately to throw a twist at the end and it doesn't pay off, more that it harms the film with its presence. It's not a good mystery plot and as a law film it's not overly interesting in that sense either. I watched it, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
vincentlynch-moonoi
Legal cases in court are about winning. But, most films make the mistake of over-hyping the roles of opposing counsel. Usually one lawyer is a scheming wacko who is over the top in his role. Or, if that's not the tack, then the judge is dishonest or wacko. Neither is true here. Both lawyers seem eager to determine the truth, meaning the story is more about the murder than the trial, even though most of the film is spent in the courtroom. I find that refreshing.In this film, Keanu Reeves is clearly no longer young. He's at best middle aged, and creeping up toward late middle age. In other words, he's 53 and he looks it. His acting here was better than usual. I enjoyed his performance, but then again I usually do. Personally, I think he's an underrated actor, though I would not go so far as to say he is a "great" actor.And then there's Renée Zellweger. I didn't recognize her. She looks more than her48 years her, and just plain worn out. Although, with this plot, that's appropriate.To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about her performance here.I used to sorta like James Belushi. Nuff said.Gabriel Basso, who plays the teen up for murder, does nicely here. I imagine we'll be seeing lots more of him.The twist at the end (we all knew there had to be one) did surprise me. Not what I was thinking all along. Enjoy it!Is it a great film? no. But it's quite good, and very serious minded.
allgellarme
SPOILER!The movie delivers good performance from Reeves and Zellweger. Fans of a courtroom movies will like it. I was surprised that Reeves was holding the whole movie on his arms in the most of scenes. It is a challenge after movies like The Devil's Advocate. He is in shape and it's a nice change from sci-fi or action movies (Matrix, John Wick). Back to the 90's I would say. I would love to see him in more movies like that or like The Gift (2001).Contrary to other reviews, I believe that the ending was very predictable or not strong enough to make the movie good enough. The problem is that the movie is not as good as A Few Good Men or or A Time to kill. However, it was enjoyable. And I recommend it.
AD
