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High Crimes | Year: 2002 Classification: Mystery / Suspense Directed: - Carl Franklin Actors/Actresses: - Ashley Judd - Morgan Freeman - James Caviezel Better than I expected At first I wasn't even going to rent this movie from Blockbuster - same old, same old - Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, detective, rookie, etc..... glad I went outside the box and rented this DVD - it was entertaining, somewhat unpredictable and had some very good acting and was not a detective/murder mystery type of movie. Ashley Judd plays an attorney who is defending her former marine husband against war crimes. She staunchly believes in his innocence and will do almost anything to win the case. She hires another attorney (Morgan Freeman) who has experience in dealing with military trials to help her. Morgan Freeman is excellent as the recovering alcoholic attorney. The plot is not predictable and just when you think you've got it all figured out, another wrench is thrown into the story. Great way to spend a few hours on a rainy Sunday. Great performances What makes this a worthwhile movie are the performances by Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman. Both are actors who are so good in everything they do that they don't seem to be acting but to be living out their roles. Judd is especially good this time out as a clever attorney who winds up defending her husband in a military trial, with the able Freeman (why hasn't this man won an academy award for at least one of his splendid performances?) as co-counsel. Freeman plays a recovering alcoholic whose law practise has been allowed to slide downhill to the point where his primariy client is a hooker. Given the actor's public acknowledgement of his own issues with substance abuse, his performance is right on the money--not too big but just enough to make the viewer feel a terrible anxiety when his sobriety is at stake. While the script isn't particularly inspired, the cast more than compensates by offering solid performances across the board. And a nice little twist ending rounds things off well--although the post script scene detracts from what has gone before, leaving one with the feeling that they've just watched the premiere of what's going to be a one-hour TV series. Definitely worth seeing. A taut legal thriller Joseph Finder's bestselling novel comes to life in this well-made, though somewhat predictable, thriller as a savvy and love-struck lawyer is pitted against the military and its covert actions. Ashley Judd plays Claire Kubik, a lawyer on the way to a partnership until her husband is arrested for a military crime he swears he didn't commit. To defend him, Claire must navigate military law and threats, getting in deeper and more dangerously with every half-truth she uncovers. The plot has fewer holes than most thrillers, although most viewers will see the "twist" a mile away. And that a law firm would jettison one of its promising stars because her husband was arrested is preposterous. Wouldn't they help in the defense? Still, given the holes in most thrillers these days, these lapses are minor. The acting is solid, with Judd creating a gutsy, smart woman who is capable of both unfaltering love and fury. Morgan Freeman does a fine job with his thin material as a once-alcoholic lawyer who is "a thorn in the military's side." James Caveziel, as Claire's husband, is less complex; his pleading got on my nerves by the end. Supporting roles by Amanda Peet (Claire's floozy sister) and Adam Smith (a young military lawyer) are adequate, though not highly memorable. The strength of this film is in the pacing and the seamless way in which it unfolds. The issues it raises about the United States's involvement in El Salvador provide an interesting, though not fully developed, frame. Highly enjoyable, though not perfect, this film is a good way to spend two hours with a bowl of popcorn at hand. Buy High Crimes at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on High Crimes Search with the Priority Search Engine on High Crimes This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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