Customer Reviews

Jagged Edge [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A ponderous murder mystery-thriller that plays better than it normally would thanks to solid star turns by an impeccable cast. Jeff Bridges (always an economical and subtle actor) is perfect as the cryptic suspect; and Glenn Close strikes a delicate balance between intellectual aloofness and romantic vulnerability as the defense lawyer who becomes too involved with her client. Nice work also by Peter Coyote as the prosecution, Leigh Taylor-Young as a vengeful woman spurned, and (especially) Robert Loggia as a foul-mouthed, hard-living evidence investigator. The combined intensity of these gifted actors almost camouflages the plot manipulations that plague the script's credibility from beginning to end ... almost.

The digitally mastered DVD transfer is more than acceptable, providing sharp anamorphic visuals and crystal clear sound. The disc provides both letterboxed and pan-and-scan presentations, and includes thumbnail biographical sketches of the director (Richard Marquand), Bridges, and Close. Four theatrical trailers ("Against All Odds", "Arlington Road", "The Natural", "Air Force One") are used to plug other Columbia Tristar videos, but unfortunately the trailer for "Jagged Edge" is not on the menu. Recommended for fans of Bridges and Close, or those interested in the career of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas; other viewers, specifically devotees of tightly plotted mysteries, may find the film less engaging.

"JAGGED EDGE" begins on a stormy night at a beach home. A killer walks through the halls with a jagged hunting knife in his hands. After he has killed a rich woman and her maid, and written the "B" word on the wall with her blood, Jack Forrester, the victim's husband, is arrested. Glenn Close plays his lawyer who falls in love with him. The two have a forbidden affair. Did he do it? Or didn't he? There's plenty of evidence on both sides. Is Glenn Close's character defending him because she honestly believes in her mind he is innocent, or is "another part of her anatomy" doing the thinking? Suspense and mystery are so well done in this film, and it is never boring. What an exquisite movie, with marvelous performances from Glenn Close and Jeff Bridges. The beginning is very eerie and frightening, but it would have been even more frightening had it not been on a "mysterious stormy night" like most thrillers, and it was just a nice, serene night, and suddenly he comes in and kills her. Still, it was very well done. The ending could have included more detail, but really, I loved the movie so much, I don't care. WHAT A MYSTERY! WHAT TWISTS! WHAT A THRILLING RIDE! FOR FANS OF MYSTERY AND COURTROOM DRAMA I DEFINELY RECOMMEND THIS SPECTACULAR FILM!!! P.S. The music perfectly fit the moods of the movie too.

Forget Showgirls and Sliver, and Flashdance, and Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge gave Big Joe his bones, his legitimacy.

A good suspenseful thriller, a bit dated, a trifle cliché (the suspect's wife had been sleeping with the country-club tennis pro, of all things), but well-paced, and well-acted.

Glenn Close takes her place in rarefied air here, the strong, but attractive adult female lead. An air uninhabited in film throughout the 90s..Susan Sarandon may try best to fill this spot, but she is nowhere near the attractive, desirable lead that Close was during this period.

Beautiful Bay-area landscapes only add to the overall package.

I wouldn't rate this high in the genre, but I see absolutely no reason to diss it either.

A solid overall effort.

This movie is pure Eszterhas, a combination of salacious sex and violence without being overly gory. Most of the violence is suggested, and the main of the movie is a tight legal drama. Glenn Close plays a divorced attorney who gave up criminal cases but ends up defending a wealthy client (played by Jeff Bridges) who is accused of murdering his wife. The characters are not always believable, but that's part of the fun. Watching this movie had me changing my mind every ten minutes as to whether he did it or not, not really finding out the answer until the final minutes of the film. This movie really built suspense. Some might call it unbelievable, but what does that matter when the movie is so entertaining and keeping you guessing until the very end.

Very good thriller featuring Glenn Close in her first leading role. Has a high suspense quotient, thanks mainly to Close's awesome performance and that nail-biting finish. Well worth the look.

Lawyer Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) falls in love with her client (Jeff Bridges), who may or may not have brutally murdered his wife.

Given that "The Jagged Edge" is written by Joe Eszterhas, who also wrote the laughably bad "Jade" and "Showgirls", I had low expectations for "The Jagged Edge" and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be one of the best mysteries/thrillers I've seen in a long time. Sure, Eszterhas's dialogue is clunky and unintentionally funny in parts, and Glenn Close's acting back in 1985 wasn't quite up to the same standard that it is in 2008 (I kept finding myself unfavourably comparing Teddy Barnes to Close's "Damages" character, Patty Hewes), but this film genuinely had me guessing the identity of the killer, right up to his unmasking in the final minute of the film. Many critics seem to disparage this film, labelling it trashy and lacking in credibility, and maybe they're right, but while I was watching this film, I was too interested in what was going on on the screen to stop and think about the possible plot holes.

If you like intelligent thrillers, that are not made for an average audience age of 14, then this is a movie you might want to check out. Jeff Bridges gives a good performance. It's wonderful to see it on DVD..

I just knew he was going to come thru that back door. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. But I still screamed when he finally did. Jagged Edge is a twisted tale of a lawyer (Glenn Close) who defends a publisher accused of murder - and in the process she ends up falling in love with him. Played by Jeff Bridges, the publisher is, shall we say, duplicitous and perhaps not entirely to be trusted - or believed. It's when Close begins to doubt her own defense tactics that things get scary. I won't say more, because if you haven't seen Jagged Edge yet, I wouldn't want to spoil it.
But trust me: you'll scream.

I saw JAGGED EDGE in the movies back in 1984 and loved it. But recently I could not remember the name of the film and thanks to Amazon's cross-listings, found it. A zillion films like this have been made but JAGGED EDGE does it well and is worth a look. Of special interest is Glenn Close - why would a smart attorney potentially set herself up by falling for her accused-murderer client? Her performance keeps your disbelief suspended throughout JAGGED EDGE.

Great movie that finally made it to Blu Ray. If you love suspense...get this movie. The PQ is great on Blu Ray to say that the movie is around 20+ yrs old.