In terms of pure plot, "Presumed Innocent" is a relatively straightforward legal thriller--nothing all that spectacular. But it contains a stellar cast and features an ending among the most memorable I've ever seen in a film.
For a very basic overview, "Presumed Innocent" tells the story of Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), a high-profile deputy prosecutor working for Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy). When fellow lawyer--and former Rusty lover--Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi) is murdered, Rusty suddenly finds himself at the top of the suspect list and must stand trial after years of doing the opposite.
If looked at from a pure plot/exposition angle, this is about a 6-star effort. It--at times--is a bit of a plodding court exercise with basically no action to speak of. Fortunately, the film has two enormous positive qualities in its corner:
First, the cast is about as good as it gets for a movie like this. Those listed above are wonderful, while Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Paul Winfield, and John Spencer are also excellent. When the exposition drags a bit, the performances alone are worthy of viewer attention.
Secondly, "Presumed Innocent" features an ending that I consider to be one of the best or most shocking in cinema history. Not only does it throw a twist at the audience worthy of M Night Shyamalan, but that twist actually re-contextualizes the way director Alan J. Pakula structured the film.
Also, in a bit of an oddity considering this composer's more epic or bombastic works, the movie is scored by none other than John Williams--and it shows. The background themes often drive home the messages as much as the characters themselves!
Overall, "Presumed Innocent" is a solid courtroom thriller. Though not spectacular, it does enough specific things (acting, score, ending) well to make it memorable.
For a very basic overview, "Presumed Innocent" tells the story of Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), a high-profile deputy prosecutor working for Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy). When fellow lawyer--and former Rusty lover--Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi) is murdered, Rusty suddenly finds himself at the top of the suspect list and must stand trial after years of doing the opposite.
If looked at from a pure plot/exposition angle, this is about a 6-star effort. It--at times--is a bit of a plodding court exercise with basically no action to speak of. Fortunately, the film has two enormous positive qualities in its corner:
First, the cast is about as good as it gets for a movie like this. Those listed above are wonderful, while Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Paul Winfield, and John Spencer are also excellent. When the exposition drags a bit, the performances alone are worthy of viewer attention.
Secondly, "Presumed Innocent" features an ending that I consider to be one of the best or most shocking in cinema history. Not only does it throw a twist at the audience worthy of M Night Shyamalan, but that twist actually re-contextualizes the way director Alan J. Pakula structured the film.
Also, in a bit of an oddity considering this composer's more epic or bombastic works, the movie is scored by none other than John Williams--and it shows. The background themes often drive home the messages as much as the characters themselves!
Overall, "Presumed Innocent" is a solid courtroom thriller. Though not spectacular, it does enough specific things (acting, score, ending) well to make it memorable.