Film 16/52: Primal Fear (1996)


We hadn't seen Primal Fear since our first theatrical screening back in 1996, and we had enjoyed it enough that I bought it when it was first released on DVD. I had since upgraded to the inexpensive Blu Ray (yes, one of the reasons we're on this magical journey is because I often upgrade films that I own but haven't yet watched if the price is right and/or the extra features warrant it), and while considering our 'P' options for this series, it jumped off the shelf. 

I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but it is one of those films that, once you know what happens, you'll never watch the film the same way again. In some films that can be a drawback, particularly if what occurs that makes the film memorable is the only thing that makes the film memorable. Fortunately, in the case of this courtroom thriller, there's enough beyond that to provide an entertaining experience. Edward Norton gives a fantastic performance in his first feature film role as a seemingly slow drifter taken under an archbishop's wing to become a choirboy, who then, by all appearances, chops up the archbishop. Richard Gere plays a hot-shot defense attorney who volunteers to take the case, pro-bono, because he loves being in the limelight. He's appropriately sleazy, but at the same time, champions the notion that all defendants are entitled to a defense; guilt or innocence notwithstanding. 

It has a great cast, so it was fun seeing everyone who turns up in the film. Laura Linney, as Gere's former colleague and object if his affection (who wants to have nothing to do with him), is handed the prosecution of the case. John Mahoney is Linney's boss, who apparently has interests which would give him a motive in the archbishop's murder. The supporting cast includes a lot of great talents, including Terry (The Stepfather) O'Quinn, Frances McDormand, Andre Braugher, Maura Tierney and Kenneth (Phantasm II) Tigar. 

The film has all the requisite twists and turns you would expect from this kind of thriller, and all the courtroom theatrics that, while they may not play out in real courtrooms, make Hollywood courtroom dramas so entertaining. It was certainly fun to revisit, and the disc looks and sounds great — including the James Newton Howard score — in Dolby TrueHD. I will say that it does lack a bit of the punch that it has on the first viewing, and it's not really one of those films where you find yourself on subsequent viewings looking for hints or clues that will tip you off about what you now know is coming. The information is there, but only on page 122 of the script. Still, it's definitely worth checking out if you've never seen it, and we found it to be an enjoyable re-watch as part of our 52 Pick-Up series. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Three Musketeers/The Four Musketeers/Return of the Musketeers (1973/1974/1989)

Image
In a coincidental tribute to Raquel Welch following her passing a few weeks back, over the course of a few nights we watched  The Three Musketeers ,  The  Four Musketeers , and Return of the Musketeers  in The Slaughtered Lamb.  The first two films were shot as a single feature, and subsequently split and released a year apart (much to the chagrin of cast and crew members who were paid for a single film!), with the third film reuniting the cast and director fifteen years later. Produced by the Salkind's (who would go on to produce the original Superman films a few years later), and directed by Richard Lester (who was responsible for the classic Beatles films A Hard Day's Night and Help! ), I will admit that I went in with pretty high expectations. In retrospect, coming from the Salkinds I think I was looking for the tale of the Three Musketeers by way of Richard Donner (director of the original Superman and far too many great films to list here), rather than Richard Lester (
Read more

Film 49/52: Warlords of Atlantis (1978)

Image
Growing up, Doug McClure was a staple of weekday afternoon television thanks to three Amicus Studios fantasy films he starred in based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs ( The Land That Time Forgot , The People That Time Forgot , and my favorite,  At the Earth's Core , in which he starred opposite Peter Cushing and Caroline Munro). I was surprised years later to discover that he did a fourth fantasy film (not for Amicus, and from an original screenplay), Warlords of Atlantis . I've had a copy in the library for years, but after showing Vonna the trailer (which showcases several of the films interesting creatures), we selected this one for our 'W' film. McClure is the creator of a diving bell helping a scientist and his son interested in finding the lost city of Atlantis. On their first dive, they're attacked by a sea creature, and after a narrow escape they find a golden statue — an artifact of Atlantis. The ship is attacked by a giant octopus, and several of the
Read more

Film 7/52: The Green Slime (1968)

Image
We've been singing The Green Slime theme song around The Slaughtered Lamb since first considering this as our 'G' entry in the 52 Pick-Up (if you've got an Amazon Echo, ask Alexa to play "The Green Slime"). That may have been one of the reasons why Vonna ultimately decided she could sit this one out, so I was left to face the green slime all on my own. I had a vague awareness that the film was a Japanese co-production, but I wasn't aware that it featured no Japanese actors in the cast! It does have the hallmarks of my favorite Japanese sci-fi films of the era, including cool (if not convincingly filmed) miniature ships and sets, and rubber men-in-suit monsters. Years later, director Kinji Fukasaku would go on to direct the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series (which I have yet to see), and his final film was the very influential adaptation of the novel  Battle Royale . The Green Slime setup is this — an asteroid (Flora) is on a collision course wi
Read more