Having big name in a movie do not ensure good movie. In this case, it was Michael Douglas. I managed to secure two tickets to the premiere of the new movie, a courtroom legal thriller, by the name of Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. It was all thanks to Nuffnang. They seem to like me this past few weeks and have been giving me a few tickets for a few movies.
As a lawyer, I just couldn't resist a courtroom drama, however bad Hollywood had absurdly dramatised the courts and lawyers. You may say I became a lawyer due to the legal television series that I grew up with (L.A. Law anyone?). In that regard, this movie won the day. It was quite authentic. Lawyers may noticed how genuine the death row and prison were. Usually all those other prisons sceneries in movie maybe authentic but just seem so wrong being too clean or too dramatised. Except maybe for a few movies like Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile (which incidently were both from Stephen King's books). So, this movie has the authenticity feel to it.
That is the good news. The bad news is ....
It was too much like an old television movie or even series. With the way the camera was panning so far from the charcters. The way the film was edited. The tired looking car chase. The not so impressive courtroom banters. The not so impressive cast member trying to act like they were acting (which is not how actors should act. They should be so into the character that they are not actors). The way the ending was told to us. You can actually see the ending miles away. Even the twist to the case.
For me, if you want a good courtroom drama on television, you can watch Boston Legal every week and you will have all the legal thriller you can handle. Ever seen Primal Fear where Edward Norton (Incredible Hulk) made his name? Now, that is a legal thriller...
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