Hart's War (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all let's get one thing straight, although the setting of Hart's War is during World War II, this is not an action movie along the lines of Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan, instead, it is more of a who-done-it type of drama film. With that out of the way, Hart's War is about the experiences of Lt. Thomas Hart during his stay at a German POW camp (the Stalag 6A) in 1944, nearing the end of the war. Inside the compound he meets Col. William McNamara, the highest ranking officer in the place, even in prison, all US soldiers and officers still answer to McNamara, and the chain of command is expected to be followed. Things start to get out of hand after two black fighter pilots enter the camp, and when one of them is accused of murder, Hart is assigned to defend him in the court martial, if he fails, the man will face the firing squad.
The strongest part of Hart's War is the performances, not just by the leads but also the supporting cast. Bruce Willis proves once again that he is a talented actor, not just another action star. His portrayal of McNamara was right on, it's as if the role was tailored specifically for him, and in every scene he held a commanding presence. Colin Farrell also did a good job as Hart, compelling and measured, I really like how his character struggled between his allegiance as an officer and his duty to his client. Fairly new to Hollywood, he's definitely someone to keep an eye out for in the future.
The script is another big plus for the movie, I found it ironic that these soldiers were sent to Europe to fight a war against the Nazi and the their so called ethnic cleansing, but instead, they are fighting their own racial prejudices in the POW camp. The hatred some of these enlisted men have for their fellow African American comrades was sometimes even more intense and pronounced than what they shown towards the enemies, Hart's War was able to accurately illustrate the hardships blacks have to face in the war even among allies. Top it off with excellent dialogues, Hart's War is one solid drama.
The only problem I had with the movie was the ending, it's not bad, just a little unexpected, but not enough to ruin the whole experience for me. I strongly recommend Hart's War to anyone who wants a little change of pace from all the big action war films we've had (and are going to have in the upcoming months,) I sure wasn't disappointed.

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Bruce Willis stars as an imprisoned officer who refuses to give up his fight to defeat the Nazis inthis "absorbing" (Roger Ebert) WWII adventure. Co-starring Colin Farrell (Minority Report) and packed with "crisp action sequences" (Los Angeles Times), Hart's War is a powerful and "stirring tribute to soldierly courage and honor" (L.A. Daily News).When Col. William McNamara (Willis) is stripped of his freedom in a German POW camp, he's determined to keep onfightingeven from behind enemy lines. Enlisting the help of a young lieutenant (Farrell) in a brilliant plot against his captors, McNamara risks everything on a mission to free his men and change the outcome of the war.

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The Good Wife: The First Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Update in late August 2010: It was just announced that Michael J. Fox is coming aboard for some episodes of this show's second season to play an attorney. He recently won an Emmy for doing the same on RESCUE ME. I am very excited about this as I think he will be a very good foil for these characters. My original review follows.
This show never ignores its central premise: what is it like being the wife of one of these political figures who gets involved in a lurid sex scandal. Julia Marguiles does a very good job answering that question week in and week out. Chris Noth plays her sex scandal husband. Some viewers know him from SEX AND THE CITY while others know him from LAW & ORDER shows, both the original and CRIMINAL INTENT. He also does a very good job because you never like or trust him. His role is getting meatier as the weeks go on and that is all to the good. I frankly would be tempted to just dump him in her place but she holds on for a variety of reasons, the most compelling being her two teen children who are already deeply conflicted by their father's behavior. He starts out the season in prison and the action steps up when he is allowed to come home under house arrest, with an ankle bracelet. She is left as the main wage earner and she is a very good attorney in her own right. At her firm, she is surrounded by a partner, who is clearly smitten by her, another partner who is the reigning superwoman, and a woman private investigator for the firm, who is fast becoming one of the breakout stars from the series. I think this show is well worth your giving it a try.

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The Good Wife is a female-driven drama about a politician's wife who pursues her own career as a defense attorney after her husband is sent to jail on charges of political corruption. Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) will not only have to deal with her career but also with keeping her family together by providing a stable home for her two children.

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Primal Fear (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)The archbishop of Chicago has just been brutally murdered and 19-year old altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is found running from the scene, covered in the man's blood. It looks like an open and shut case against the simple, stuttering boy, until dashing Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a self-proclaimed "big-deal lawyer," offers to defend him - pro bono. The prosecutor he'll be facing in the courtroom is none other than his ex-girlfriend (Laura Linney), who is still bitter about their past. With the help of a psychologist (Frances McDormand), Vail discovers a shocking secret about young Aaron that may save his life.
This is a great movie; I've seen it many times and it never gets old. Gere is perfectly cast as the handsome and confident charmer, and Edward Norton surely had one of his best roles ever as Aaron - and this was his first movie role. He is so charismatic that you will not be able to take your eyes off him. The search for the killer's motive is intense and surprising, with lots of opportunities for Gere to showcase his tremendous appeal. Highly recommended for those who like character-driven mysteries.

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Clever twists and a bona fide surprise ending make this an above-average courtroom thriller, tapping into the post-O.J. scrutiny of our legal system in the case of a hotshot Chicago defense attorney (Richard Gere) whose latest client is an altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop. The film uses its own manipulation to tell a story about manipulation, and when we finally discover who's been pulling the strings, the payoff is both convincing and pertinent to the ongoing debate over what constitutes truth in the American system of justice. Making an impressive screen debut that has since led to a stellar career, Norton gives a performance that rides on a razor's edge of schizophrenic pathology--his role is an actor's showcase, and without crossing over the line of credibility, Norton milks it for all it's worth. Gere is equally effective in a role that capitalizes on his shifty screen persona, and Laura Linney and Frances McDormand give memorable performances in their intelligently written supporting roles. "--Jeff Shannon"

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A Civil Action (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sometime in the late 1960's, a hideous act of pollution took place in Woburn, Massachusetts, a small town north of Boston. Over the next fifteen years, twelve people died of leukemia. Eight of those were children. The firm of Jan Schlichtmann, Kevin Conway, James Gordon, and Bill Crowley take on the case on behalf of Anne Anderson, a woman who lost her child to cancer. For her, money isn't the point. All she wants to know is what happened, and for the responsible parties to come over and apologize to her and the other families. Thing is, corporations apologize with money, and if the corporations have deep pockets, it's a case worth taking, so money does indeed become the point in A Civil Action.
Schlichtmann uncovers the culprits, a chemical company, WR Grace and Beatrice Foods, who provide services for a tanning company owned by Riley. With that, he files a lawsuit, the legal equivalent to a declaration of war, and hires a geological team to provide scientific evidence should it come to trial.
Jan then does a couple things that leads to his downfall. One, he gets personally involved. In a news broadcast, he holds up snaps of the Woburn kids who have died. He shows empathy, which is a grave disservice to the legal profession because it clouds his judgment. He says it's like a doctor recoiling at the sight of blood. That leads to his demanding of WR Grace and Beatrice Foods a multi-million dollar settlement, including money for a research foundation, to cover expenses, and to provide for the families for thirty years, which the corporations refuse, which in turn takes the case to trial. He does this without consulting his partners, which doesn't bode well. James Gordon, the accountant, points out that they need to work on other cases to provide a cash flow. Schlichtmann has sunken a million into the Woburn case, and pretty soon, they teeter on the waterfalls of insolvency to the point of mortaging their homes. It's become a source of pride, which has undone many an attorney as opposed to idiot witnesses, lousy evidence, and the hanging judge put together, as Jerome Fasher tells his law class.
Fasher, the attorney for Beatrice, is a statesman-like man of experience, but has a detached air coupled with some eccentricities. Yet he is a clever man, and his observation on the justice system is true, at times sickening. When Schlichtmann tells him he's searching for the truth, he tells him, "You've been around long enough to know that a courtroom's not the place to look for the truth." And he accurately says that the case stopped being about children the moment Schlichtmann filed for action.
The movie is sprinkled with legal commentary from Schlichtmann, which lays out how callous, ugly, and illogical the justice system is. He begins by talking about which types of clients are worth more, i.e. are winning cases. Whites are worth more than blacks, men more than women, a long agonizing death over a quick one. A white male professional in his 40's, in his prime, is worth the most. A dead child is worth least of all. Well, Schlichtmann finds out that children are worth something after all, especially when he imagines an agonizing scene where the LaFierros were taking their son to the hospital and died en route.
While John Travolta's best known for Grease and Saturday Night Fever, A Civil Action proves he can handle serious drama and he turns in one of his best ever performances. However, the real Jan Schlichtmann came to Farmington. He's close to seven feet tall, and in terms of resemblance, could've been played by Richard Gere. As Anne Anderson, Kathleen Quinlan is the other great performer, playing a woman changed through her ordeal into someone who has a tired and sad visage. The scene where Al Love (James Gandolfini), a conscience-stricken tannery employer personally apologizes to her shows that maybe the only real meaningful apologies come from humans, not corporations.
Trials and lawsuits are examples of how corrupt and rotten the legal system and some lawyers are. Is it worth having a system where the first party to come to their senses (i.e. to cut their losses and call for a settlement) is the loser? A Civil Action also shows that despite the need for compassion, it's better to have a lawyer who thinks more with the head than the heart.

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Jan Schlichtmann is a cynical, high-priced personal injury attorney who only takes big-money cases he can safely settle out of court. Though his latest case at first appears straightforward, Schlichtmann soon becomes entangled in an epic legal battle ... one where he's willing to put his career, reputation, and all that he owns on the line for the rights of his clients! Also featuring Robert Duvall, William H. Macy, and John Lithgow -- this gripping, widely acclaimed hit delivers edge-of-your-seat entertainment!

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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)What speaks volumes about the overall quality of this movie is that it was released in only half a dozen movie theaters nationwide, and grossed less than 20k at the box office.
At best it's an average movie with no quality acting, which reflects the fact that only 5% of voters on Rotten Tomatoes actually enjoyed it. The complications that arise with our main character as the movie progresses are predictable, as is the "twist" that occurs at the film's conclusion.
The biggest mystery of this film is how they were able to land Michael Douglas on the cast. Douglas has virtually no real screen time in this movie, which is a major disappointment for those of us who enjoyed his work in movies like King of California, Wall Street and Basic Instinct. No need to wait for the jury to return to the courtoom; my verdict is that it's not worth even a Redbox rental.

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High profile lawyer, Martin Hunter (Michael Douglas) has an impeccable record putting criminals behind bars and is a shoo-in for governor in the upcoming election. But when ambitious rookie journalist, C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) begins investigating Hunter for tampering with evidence to secure his convictions, the district attorney’s perfect record is up for scrutiny. Commencing a risky game of cat and mouse with Hunter, C.J. frames himself as a murder suspect to catch the corrupt D.A. in the act. Stills from Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Click for larger image)

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