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Three petite court dramas

Posted by Victor Khomenko on October 6, 2010 at 06:04:55:
The house is quiet, everyone has gone to bed, and you still have another hour to kill. Why not a court drama?

Everyone loves court dramas, and if they don't - they should. All for good reason - even the mediocre ones can keep you interested, and the better ones effortlessly become classic.

Of the three here none raises above average level, but each one has something to offer. The higher the level, the fewer obvious cliche's you will get, and the more unexpected will be the resolution.

In "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" we see Michael Douglas in his best form. There maybe many reasons to dislike him, but he is always at the top of his game as some super-successful, super-arrogant businessman/DA/you name it.

Two young reporters devise a plan to trap a corrupt DA, the plan goes awry and... and you will have to find out the rest. Overall not a bad film if you don't expect too much, entertaining in spots, and with reasonable doze of surprise.

"Presumed innocent" is the older one of the bunch, and stars Harrison Ford. I have to admit, my long term dislike of him has softened quite a bit in recent years, and I now tend to notice good things more than paying attention to clumsy steps or less that stellar acting. Why it took me so long I do not know... perhaps the obsession with Arnold and Stallone kept me from giving Harrison his proper dues.

In this film he does fine job, and plot is complicated enough to keep you interested. The ending, however, with the usual talking perpetrator, is ridiculous - it always is, if you have to explain this much after almost two hours of screen time, but it is the sin somewhat easily forgiven, so don't dwell on it, just accept it.

"Before and After" is totally different. You realize you stepped into something corny and "family oriented" (in the worst sense) as soon as the first images start rolling and that horrible, syrupy music fills your ears. You feel like turning it off right there... and, strictly speaking, you should.

The weakest film of the three, this one is only good for watching with your eleven year old daughters... anyone more mature will soon lose interest and leave. I, on the other hand, gave myself the word to stay till the end. What a waste of good acting talent that one is - both Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson deserve better than this mediocre script.

There is another unpleasant surprise - Edward Furlong, who looks too much like Alain Delon to be taken seriously. With a burden like that on his shoulders no wonder he acts as in front of a crowd of teenage fans - a sore, sore spot...

So - rent the first two, skip the third, and - what are YOUR recommendations in that genre?