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A predictable courtroom thriller that doesn't manage to create any real tension or sympathy for those involved. High Crimes wishes it could capitalize on the semi success of their previous pairing in Kiss the Girls instead of trying to build something of its own. Thus we're given a ho-hum script with predictable twists and turns.
Claire's husband Tom is arrested and put on military trial. He's accused of desertion and the murder of 9 innocent civilians. She is a lawyer and is determined to clear his name since he says he was set up. But this is military law and she needs an expert to help. Enter Morgan Freeman. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Judd plays a strong and determined woman up against these macho men from the military. Not only is her husbands life at risk, but her own is as well. People from the shadows obviously want her to stop what she is doing. Is there a bigger cover-up here? She makes the work seem somewhat bearable and helps us through the chore of getting through this film. Freeman is a self proclaimed "wild card", but he doesn't seem to be off hinged at all. He has a drinking problem that seems to be corrected pretty quickly, a lazy attempt at adding some sort of depth to a thin character. He's the 'best' of course, but we don't get to see any of that whatsoever.
The court room scenes lack tension, the investigation sequences lack danger. The film tries to present her as always being in danger because the military wants this whole thing to go away. Despite those scenes, I just didn't really feel the uneasy atmosphere that should have been present. For some reason Amanda Peet is here as her sister. Not really adding much depth to the character dynamics or the story.
The film lacks any kind of surprise. For a film that seems to pride itself in such a thing, it's a little embarrassing.
High Crimes
(Carl Franklin)
(Carl Franklin)
A predictable courtroom thriller that doesn't manage to create any real tension or sympathy for those involved. High Crimes wishes it could capitalize on the semi success of their previous pairing in Kiss the Girls instead of trying to build something of its own. Thus we're given a ho-hum script with predictable twists and turns.
Claire's husband Tom is arrested and put on military trial. He's accused of desertion and the murder of 9 innocent civilians. She is a lawyer and is determined to clear his name since he says he was set up. But this is military law and she needs an expert to help. Enter Morgan Freeman. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Judd plays a strong and determined woman up against these macho men from the military. Not only is her husbands life at risk, but her own is as well. People from the shadows obviously want her to stop what she is doing. Is there a bigger cover-up here? She makes the work seem somewhat bearable and helps us through the chore of getting through this film. Freeman is a self proclaimed "wild card", but he doesn't seem to be off hinged at all. He has a drinking problem that seems to be corrected pretty quickly, a lazy attempt at adding some sort of depth to a thin character. He's the 'best' of course, but we don't get to see any of that whatsoever.
The court room scenes lack tension, the investigation sequences lack danger. The film tries to present her as always being in danger because the military wants this whole thing to go away. Despite those scenes, I just didn't really feel the uneasy atmosphere that should have been present. For some reason Amanda Peet is here as her sister. Not really adding much depth to the character dynamics or the story.
The film lacks any kind of surprise. For a film that seems to pride itself in such a thing, it's a little embarrassing.