Customer Reviews

Presumed Innocent

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review refers to the DVD edition(Warner Bros) of "Presumed Innocent"

Director Alan J Pakula with us his usual flair for suspense("Klute"/"The Pelican Brief"), really draws us in and keeps us guessing in this courtroom thriller. The cast is also wonderful at keeping the mystery alive as they portray their parts perfectly, never giving away anything.It stars Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia and Greta Scacchi.

Ford is a prosecuting attorney. He's one of the best around, so when a fellow attorney is brutally murdered, he is assigned the case. He is a bit reluctant though. This fellow attorney, was a brillant lawyer,as well as a beautiful and sexy woman, and one other thing...he was having an extra marital affair with her and when it ended, he became obsessed with winning her back. Uh Oh...all the evidence eventually points right at him! Don't rule ANYBODY out in this edge of your seat courtroom drama.

An above average murder mystery, with a great cast and brillant director. The music of John Willilams also adds just the right touch of suspense. I hadn't seen this one for quite a while, so I actually forgot whodunit, until almost the end, and I enjoyed it as much the second time around as the first.

The DVD has a good picture and nice color(not the very best I've seen, but pretty decent) which may be viewed in either a widescreen version or standard. The sound in Dolby Dig Surround was very good but would be even better in 5.1. Don't look for too much in the way of special features. There are some production notes, , a theatrical trailer,it may be viewed in English, French and Spanish and has subtitles in those langauges as well.

Also I must mention the really terrific performances of the supporting cast. Paul Winfield(with his oh so recognizable voice) as the Judge, John Spencer, as the Detective helping Ford with evidence, and Anna Maria Horsford as an assissant in the office.

A good buy and terrific addition to your suspense collection.
Never assume....Never presume....
Go for It...Laurie

also recommended:
Just Cause
Blind Horizon
Die Hard Trilogy Letterbox Edition

Scott Turow is just simply an outstanding legal thriller author, and, IMO, this is still his best. It's ambiguous, sneaky, freaky, scary, and realy believable. A lovely and very seductive lawyer is murdered, and it becomes clear she's been having an affair. Then, much to his amazement, damning evidence points to the prosecuting attorney (played awfully well by Harrison Ford) as the prime suspect, esp when his superior (and a possible other suspect) sets him up for the fall.
And then there's Ford's odd possibly mentally ill wife...
Super good all the way through, and it'll keep you guessing as long as you don't read any reviews that give it away.

Harrison Ford gives a riveting performance of a man cornered by fate, with so many facts staring him in the face that it is hard for others to believe that he has not killed femme fatale Greta Scacchi, his co-worker in the public prosecutor's office who abruptly terminated an affair with him when he refused to try and take his boss Brian Dennehy's job away from him and provide her with the top deputy's post. The femme fatale prosecutor, highly ambitious, also had an affair with Dennehy as well as Paul Winfield, the judge who presides over Ford's murder trial.

As typical in legal circles, a cornered defendant lawyer seeking to prove his or her innocence to a jury hires a respected adversary to defend his or her cause. After all, who has a better idea of a lawyer's worth than someone who has tangled in courtroom battle with that same individual? In this case prosecutor Ford calls on talented defense attorney Raul Julia to represent him. Ford is crushed to quickly learn after hiring Julia that Dennehy, the boss he refused to conspire against, after losing a bid for reelection reveals that he will testify against his former chief assistant.

Also coming into the fascinating mix is the neurotic wife of Ford, played by Bonnie Bedelia, who was well aware of his tryst with his fellow prosecutor. Bedelia plays a key role in the drama which is not resolved until after Ford's trial has played itself out.

Director Alan J. Pakula, the master of suspense filmmaking who previously gave us "All The President's Men" and "Klute," keeps the action moving at a quick pace. The trial scenes are particularly well done and move briskly. The adversary nature of a hard-nosed murder trial is convincingly presented.

If you are looking for a suspenseful movie with unsuspecting twists and turns, complete with a surprise ending, Presumed Innocent should fulfill your needs.

It is an incredible film that takes place in a corrupt judicial system. Harrison Ford plays a chief deputy and highly regarded prosecutor who is appointed to the homicide case of his fellow co-worker and former lover. Reluctant to agree because of remaining emotional ties and fear of hurting his wife all over again, Ford finally gives in to appease his demanding boss.

He is not on the case long before there is a turn of events, and instead of looking for a defendant, he becomes the defendant.

What makes this movie so interesting and appealing is that throughout the duration of the film, the viewer is left trying to decipher whether Ford is guilty or not. Incriminating events, such as a note from the deceased the day after the murder reading "I know it's you," are overturned with convenient coincidences, manufactured evidence, and uncovered relationships between others, leave you wondering. It is not until the very end that the surprising truth is revealed.

I was extremely impressed by this captivating film and highly recommend it.

These are the issues that are explored in this film, directed by Alan J. Pakula, adapted from the best selling novel by Scott Turow. It is the story of chief deputy prosecutor Rozat "Rusty" Sabich (Ford) in the fictional Kindle County, whose seemingly normal life is shattered by the murder of a female colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Scacchi). A colleague with whom he had previously engaged in an affair and whom he had stalked when she had broken off the affair.

Any illusions you may have about the integrity of the criminal justice system (in this fictional world) are swept away quickly. Sabich is coerced into heading the investigation of Polhemus' murder by his boss, prosecuting attorney Raymond Horgan (Dennehy). That is, until Horgan loses his reelection campaign and new prosecuting attorney Nico Della Guardia (Mardirosian) and his second whip Tommy Molto (Grifasi) charge him with Polhemus' murder.

One of the great aspects of this movie is that Sabich, while heading the murder investigation, seems very conflicted about his previous encounters with Polhemus, who we only see in flashback sequences during the film. We don't know if this is because of his emotional and sexual connection to Polhemus, or because he is the murderer himself. Suspicions are raised concerning Sabich's guilt throughout the first third of the movie, e.g., his obstruction of his lead investigator Detective Lipranzer (Spencer) by ignoring fingerprint evidence. This becomes ammunition against him later when he becomes the defendant.

Sabich's wife Barbara (Bedelia) throws gasoline on the fire by constantly nettling Rusty about the previous affair, and, most important, Rusty's obsession with Polhemus which even her death could not end. Barbara tries to reconnect to Rusty during the movie, but it is clear that he deeply hurt her by the affair, and Rusty knows that he has a lot to atone for.

The net starts closing around Sabich fairly quickly in the second third of the movie. Everyone except Lipranzer is ready and willing to believe that Sabich is the murderer. Luckily, Sabich hires former adversary Sandy Stern (Julia) to defend him. Stern is an outstanding defense attorney, and his instincts eventually lead to a winning strategy that results in the dismissal of charges against Sabich. But, as Stern asks Sabich later in the film "was justice done?"

The forensic case that is prepared against Sabich is interesting because it predates the active use of DNA in criminal investigations. Also, the actions of the medical examiner "Painless" Kumagai (Shimono) alternate between the comical and ridiculous. Nevertheless, the trial that is the centerpiece of the movie is truly engrossing. The trial judge Larren Lyttle (Winfield) is quite amusing and speaks his mind.

What we come to realize by the middle of the film is that political intrigue, blackmail, and sex influence *everyone* in the film. Anyone even tangentially involved in the case is dirty in some respect. No one is innocent. Although you may guess the true identity of the murderer before the trial ends, I promise you will never forget the speech delivered in the denouement of the film. As Sabich says in the final minute of the film, "There was a crime. There was a victim. And there *is* punishment."

The John Williams score is quite haunting and will stay with you for some time. All of the principal actors (Ford, Bedelia, Julia, Winfield, Spencer, Mardirosian, Dennehy, Grifasi) deliver powerful performances. As a bit of trivia, Mardirosian and Grifasi later had guest appearances in the second season of a fledging TV series named Law & Order. Julia showed that he could play a serious role (unlike other roles in Street Fighter and Addams Family). As a previous reviewer noted, Julia should have garnered an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, as his performance carries the film from the second act forward.

Buy this movie, and appreciate its subtleties with a second and third viewing. I promise you won't be disappointed. Except of course, by the lack of extras (such as director commentary) on the DVD. Maybe one day a collector's edition will be released.

This movie has *so* much to commend it. Where to start? First, it's based on a great book, a five-star in its own right. Second, great casting and acting, from top to bottom. Harrison Ford is at the top of his game, perfect in his range of emotions and fitting into the role so well you have to struggle to remember he's acting. Likewise, Bonnie Bedelia is a terrific actress. My generation mainly thinks of her as John McClane's wife in Die Hard I and II (bring her back for IV!) and my parents' generation thinks of her as Ruby in "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" but we all need to see her in this role where she shines in her ability.

I also must commend the penultimate scene of the movie, Bonnie Bedelia's "The Destroyer is destroyed" monologue. Wow, what a speech! What a perfect reaction from Rusty Sabich! ((gasping) "Saved?") Sometimes one or two scenes make a movie. Think, for example, of the Walker/Hopper and the Gandolfini/Arquette scenes in "True Romance." Sometimes, however, a movie that is otherwise strong in all its parts -- acting-writing-directing -- is made even stronger by a certain scene. "Presumed Innocent" is such a movie, and Ms. Bedelia's monologue is just such a scene. This movie is definitely worth purchasing for your home collection.

Among the many reasons to this this suspensful courtroom drama is the performance of Raul Julia.

I shall forever be convinced he should have received as oscar for his performance as attorney Sandy Stern.

"Presumed Innocent" is one of those films where I can never get away from the fact that it is an adaptation of a novel I really enjoyed. Like one of my other favorite courtroom dramas of recent years, John Grisham's "The Rainmaker," I find myself acutely aware of everything that has been left out in translating Scott Turow's novel to the screen. For example, I am disappointed every time we have the direct examination regarding the glass with Rusty Sabich's fingerprint on it and the idea of the 13th glass is never brought up.

Consequently, I have to think I would have a better appreciation of this film if I had never read the novel. Certainly the film is able to take advantage of vocal nuances and ambiguous looks to play up the question of the guilt or innocence of Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford). I can easier imagine director Alan J. Pakula reshooting scenes so that the performances continue to convince every one in the audience that they are right, whether they think Rusty is guilty or innocent. Ford's minimalist style, not to mention the buzz hair cut, work well for his character, as does his sexual obsession with the dead woman, the fact of which precludes us from assuming his innocence. Of course, as an actor Ford has been one of the most heroic figures of our generation, but he amazing sheds that aura for this role. I do not think he cracks a smile once in this film, which does not give his "normal" screen persona a chance to break through. Along with "Witness," this is one of those films that Ford can point to as proof that he is a legitimate actor and not just a movie star (I also think his work here anticipates how he plays off of his image in "What Lies Beneath").

The rest of the first-rate cast follows Ford's lead in providing understated performances. Raul Julia as defense attorney Sandy Stern has to carry the courtroom scenes, which is fine, because the he smooth outclasses the prosecution team of Nico Della Gauardia (Tom Mardirosian) and Tommy Molto (Joe Grifasi); if only he could get his client to stop acting like a lawyer. His cross-examination of coroner "Painless" Kumagai (Sab Shimono) is still one of my favorite scenes in both the book and the film. Unfortunately most of best scenes for Paul Winfield's Judge Larren Lyttle never made it from the book to the movie. Bonnie Bedelia as Barbara Sabich has her own tightrope to walk, trying to be supportive of a husband during his murder trial when she cannot forgive him for his affair with the woman who was brutally murdered. Greta Scacchi as the deceased, Caroline Polhemus, is seen only in flashbacks but amply personifies the woman who manages to be hot and cold at the same time and who used her sexuality to advance her career. John Spencer as Detective Lipranzer does his usually solid job with the role of the one person who Rusty Sabich can still trust. Brian Dennehy is perfectly cast as Raymond Horgan, Rusty's boss, who is always trying to catch the political winds in his sails to cover his own behind.

As much as I want to take screenwriters Pakula and Frank Pierson to task for the myriad omission neccessitated by a film trying to come in as close to 2 hours in length as possible, I do want to applaud their reworking of the final act in terms of revealing the truth to the viewers. The key moment, which comes down to a nice combination of a pull back shot and a line of dialogue, is a nice culmination of the film's climate of doubt. To some degree I actually like the changes the film comes up with for the explanation scene.

"Presumed Innocent" is a compelling courtroom drama because it juggles at the same time not only the question of whether or not the main character will be convicted, but also the key question of whether or not he committed the crime in question. The success of this film rests entirely on how long it can keep the audience guessing with regards to either one of those questions, especially once one of them is actually answered. Again, I think those who have not read the novel will like it more than those of us in other column and I would certainly urge you to read the Scott Turow novel if you have not.

Those of you who figured out whodunit early on while watching PRESUMED INNOCENT are going to have to cut me some slack. Admittedly, I'm dense, but I was floored when the killer was "revealed" at the end of this excellent courtroom thriller. As they say: "Hell hath no fury. . ." But I digress.

Harrison Ford plays a top DA lieutenant to an embattled District Attorney fighting for his electoral life (Brian Dennehy is one talented actor). When a beautiful prosecutor in the DA's office is brutally murdered, Ford's character is assigned the case, but there's more to this assignment than meets the eye--Ford and his coworker (Greta Scacchi) had been having a torrid love affair. Consequently, Ford obstructs his own investigation--where his DNA and other evidence are all over the crime scene--until a new DA is sworn in and lowers the boom, charging Ford with murder. Ford proclaims his innocence, his wife (a bodacious Bonnie Bedelia) is incensed, and a grand drama of a trial ensues, led by Ford's colorful defense attorney, Raul Julia. Even though there's circumstantial evidence galore, it turns out there was more than one prosecutor having fun with the vivacious Scacchi; thus the judicial waters are muddied, and PRESUMED INNOCENT races headlong to its jaw-dropping conclusion.

Ford is solid, while Bedelia is very convincing as the wounded spouse. Julia is fun to watch; Scacchi looks good and is delightfully wicked; Dennehy is just plain grand. One star off for some of the plot twists and turns, which tried too hard and were contrived, yet overall PRESUMED INNOCENT is a must-see for all courtroom thriller fans.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

I picked this DVD up after having my interest piqued by Scott Turow's latest novel and sequel, "Innocent." The film under review is nicely done and maturely acted with none of the pyrotechnics or intrusive special effects dominating more recent movies. Having said that, the DVD I viewed was dark and dimly lit which detracted from the viewing experince. All is forgiven, however, by the realistic and suspenseful story line that carries one interest to the very last moments.