What do you get when you take the director, cinematographer, and editor from the academy-award winning film Driving Miss Daisy, throw in the writing team who gave us The Rock, and spice it up with solid performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd? You get a fairly predictable formula film with occasional splashes of creativity and brilliance.
In fairness, some of the predictability of this film is not the fault of the director, but the marketing people. Roger Ebert has criticized the production company for giving too much away in the previews, and on this point he is absolutely right. In the off chance that the reader has not yet seen the previews, I will keep the plot synopsis to a minimum. Ashley Judd plays a mother and wife who is framed for a murder. Most of the story line involves her attempts to right wrongs done to her as a result of this injustice. The specific formula is three parts The Fugitive, two parts Sleeping with the Enemy, and one part each of An Innocent Man, Deep End of the Ocean, and Shawshank Redemption.
There are some innovative plot twists, but what makes the movie most worth seeing is the outstanding performance by oft underrated Ashley Judd (A Time to Kill, Norma Jean and Marilyn). She is clearly the driving force behind this film, and she rises to the occasion showing real range and an ability to get more meaning from a raised eyebrow than some actors get in an entire film. Tommy Lee Jones reprises one of his best roles by playing a near-clone of his role as U.S. Marshall Girard in The Fugitive. This character is a little more multidimensional, but it's still a character we know--and love. There are also some nice small performances from a grab bag assortment of supporting players.
Besides some really good performances, the real strength of this film is solid cinematography. There are some nice innovative visuals at key points in the film and the visual elements help us stay engaged. The greatest weakness of the film is probably the plot itself. The story idea has some real potential, but the writers appear to have difficulty avoiding the cheap cliché in structuring the plot, so that in the end, we have a story almost worth telling that is fairly well told.
In fairness, some of the predictability of this film is not the fault of the director, but the marketing people. Roger Ebert has criticized the production company for giving too much away in the previews, and on this point he is absolutely right. In the off chance that the reader has not yet seen the previews, I will keep the plot synopsis to a minimum. Ashley Judd plays a mother and wife who is framed for a murder. Most of the story line involves her attempts to right wrongs done to her as a result of this injustice. The specific formula is three parts The Fugitive, two parts Sleeping with the Enemy, and one part each of An Innocent Man, Deep End of the Ocean, and Shawshank Redemption.
There are some innovative plot twists, but what makes the movie most worth seeing is the outstanding performance by oft underrated Ashley Judd (A Time to Kill, Norma Jean and Marilyn). She is clearly the driving force behind this film, and she rises to the occasion showing real range and an ability to get more meaning from a raised eyebrow than some actors get in an entire film. Tommy Lee Jones reprises one of his best roles by playing a near-clone of his role as U.S. Marshall Girard in The Fugitive. This character is a little more multidimensional, but it's still a character we know--and love. There are also some nice small performances from a grab bag assortment of supporting players.
Besides some really good performances, the real strength of this film is solid cinematography. There are some nice innovative visuals at key points in the film and the visual elements help us stay engaged. The greatest weakness of the film is probably the plot itself. The story idea has some real potential, but the writers appear to have difficulty avoiding the cheap cliché in structuring the plot, so that in the end, we have a story almost worth telling that is fairly well told.