Keanu Reeves stars as Richard Ramsey, a small town Louisiana lawyer who takes up the murder case of family friends son who may have murdered his father in cold blood. To make matters worse, his young client refuses to speak to anyone on the matter except to say that he is guilty. The boys mother, played by a barely recognizable Renée Zellweger, begs Keanu to save her son from prison but does she have her own secrets to hide?
While the trailer to this movie looks like an intelligent, and mysterious courtroom drama, its sadly misleading. The movie sets up the murder and the characters right from the beginning however the entire movie is played out in either the courtroom...or a series of short flashbacks. It really could have been shot anywhere and except for a few bridge shots, it has no connection to Louisiana. While I have no qualms with the acting, the story is at best, basic. There is no real payoff at the end and when we do see the guilty party, it certainly isn't much of a surprise.
My biggest complaint is about Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a fine actress whose talents were wasted here on a part that plays no serious role in the movie. Her character almost didn't need to be included in the movie.
Like I said, this movie could have easily been a two-part Law and Order episode. No wonder Daniel Craig bailed on this.
While the trailer to this movie looks like an intelligent, and mysterious courtroom drama, its sadly misleading. The movie sets up the murder and the characters right from the beginning however the entire movie is played out in either the courtroom...or a series of short flashbacks. It really could have been shot anywhere and except for a few bridge shots, it has no connection to Louisiana. While I have no qualms with the acting, the story is at best, basic. There is no real payoff at the end and when we do see the guilty party, it certainly isn't much of a surprise.
My biggest complaint is about Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a fine actress whose talents were wasted here on a part that plays no serious role in the movie. Her character almost didn't need to be included in the movie.
Like I said, this movie could have easily been a two-part Law and Order episode. No wonder Daniel Craig bailed on this.