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The Client

The Client

List Price: $12.98
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Trailed by the Mob and FBI
Review: Brad Renfro stars as a street smart Louisiana boy who tangles with a member of the mob as that man is about to commit suicide. The mobster reveals the whereabouts of a body everyone is searching for, and after his suicide, everyone comes to believe that the boy knows the truth - he has both the Mob and the FBI after him for it. The always great Tommy Lee Jones leads the way for the FBI, while it's up to small time lawyer Susan Sarandon to defend and protect the boy, her client. Sarandon is terrific as the emotionally wounded lawyer trying to keep everyone at bay. Renfro is extremely good as the kid/client, completely believable and self-possessed. The story moves along well, being highly entertaining without ever becoming too improbable as films like this sometimes do. At the heart of the film is the relationship between attorney and client, very well written and played. The Client is the kind of film to watch on a rainy/snowy day when a movie is the best option.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE CLIENT
Review: A sterling cast headed by Oscar - nominated Susan Sarandon makes this slick thriller the adaptation of a John Grisham bestseller. Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer, who confesses that the mob was behind the murder of a U.S. senator. Mark's brother is traumatized into a coma by the incident; gangster Barry Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) is soon on Mark's trail, and in desperation, he arrives at the office of recovering alcoholic lawyer Reggie Love (Sarandon). With the mob after them, and a ruthless federal attorney Roy Foltrig (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to force Mark to reveal what he knows, Love battles to guarantee the safety of her client and his family. The relationship between Reggie Love and Mark Sway is the center of the film, adding considerable character development to plot's routine elements. Director Joel Schumacher helmed another Grisham adaptation, A Time To Kill, in 1996.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I plead the 5th
Review: I have always been a John Grisham fan, so even the movies will get my top vote. This movie depicts what you should and should not do when you witness and/or are told about a crime, and the pain you could endure if the wrong people find out you know about this crime. This is a wonderful plot with great acting from Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, etc. I recommend that if you haven't watched this movie yet, then give it a try. You'll like it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Movie From a Terrible Book
Review: "The Client" is a movie that profiled the American Justice system drenched with beaurocracy, and the particular story of a young child and his family caught up in it. An 11 year old backwoods punk kid named Mark Sway (Newly introduced Brad Renfro), is a witness to the suicide of a lawyer involved in a high profile Mafia case. Being the only witness, he is now pressured by the US Attorney's office to talk...and by the Mob not to. US Attorney Roy Fortrigg is played flawlessly as always by award winning actor Tommy Lee Jones, who battles Mark's dedicated lawyer (Susan Sarandon) to make the boy tell all and vault himself to Governor of Louisianna. If I was making this movie, I would think that it would fall apart on the child's role...but it didnt. Brad Renfro was as good as they come, playing a stubborn punk kid who refused to be intimidated by Fortrigg, and tried not to let the Mob get to him either. Another stellar performance was played by Kim Coates, one of the big Mob boss's henchmen. After seeing "The Client" I checked out a few other of his roles...needless to say they were mostly the "bad guy" parts. The movie was gripping in every sense with suspense, action and hardball legal dialogue that trully capture the reality of a high-profile criminal justice case. From start to finish I enjoyed the movie very much and cant turn it off to this day if I flip by it on television. I think "The Client" is a great purchase idea...and again I dont recommend the book.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Client Tell
Review: The film adaptation of author John Grisham's legal thriller, The Client marks the first time that director Joel Shumacher, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman brought his work to the big screen.

Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), a trailer park kid, witnesses the suicide of a mob lawyer. He getst more than he bargained for though, he is pursued by both the authorities, led by 'Reverend' Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) and mob thugs out to kill him for what he may know. In an attempt to protect himself, the 11 year-old hires Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon), feisty female attorney who takes his case, trying her best to protect him.

While I never read the novel, the film is very good, led by a standout cast. Now considered a heart throb, a young Renfro gives an amazing performance, holding his own with Sarandon (who, herself was nominated for an Oscar here) and Jones. Not an easy thing to do. The dynamics of Love and Mark's relationship is very "real" and is the reason it works Jones can be a bit hammy at times, but I'm not sure if that's more or less a trait of the character than anything else. Shumacher seems confortable in Grisham's world. So much so that he returned to adapt A Time To Kill, which is even better still.

The DVD lacks any subtantial extras. Like most Grisham adaptions on disc, all you relly get are a few production notes, and the theatrical trailer. Viewers can choose to watch the film in either the full-screen, or widescreen formats. I think some more extras would have made things a bit better though. Special edition anyone.

Recommended, especially, for the work of Renfro and Sarandon.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Entertaining but unsatisfying
Review: Slick coutroom drama from John Grisham's novel.

The story: Two kids witness a suicide and one of them hears a confession by the man. The Feds want him as witness, the mob wants him dead before he can tell anyone what the mafia lawyer told him before his death. A tough female lawyer defends him thus putting her own life at risk.

The movie is always entertaining thanks to Joel Schumacher's direction but is not always satisfying, especially in the climax which would be more appropriate in a MacGyver episode. Tommy Lee Jones is good as the federal prosecutor nicknamed 'Reverend' for his habit of quoting parts of the Bible. Susan Sarandon's Oscar-nomination for her performance was well deserved, her scenes with the kid (played by Brad Renfro) are particularly good.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A really good one.
Review: The first time I read a John Grisham book, I was disappointed; it read as if it had been written for the express purpose of being turned into a screenplay, rather than for those of us who like a good book and appreciate good writing. And indeed, most of his books have become movies - and I haven't liked most of them any better than I liked that first book (well, except for The Pelican Brief).
The Client, however, is really, really good. How could it NOT be, with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones? It's a whirlwind thriller based on a secret held by an 11yo kid who knows the identity of a Mob murderer. The poor kid knows he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, and he's caught between 3 powerful forced: the federal prosecutor, the murdered, and his attorney (Sarandon), who risks not just her career but also her life when she goes right down to the wire for her client.
Super flick.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A mixture of action,adventure and bravery !
Review: This movie is a big blockbuster.This is a very well planned movie which could make you very much like the character Mark in it.I have not read the novel but I'm not disappointed because an action story is not very good in a novel and believe me,this is an an action movie.
The only flaw in it is the lack of courtroom drama or else I'm sure it would win a few oscar awards!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My favorite book & movie
Review: I love this movie.....it's the only one that has made me cry, not even titanic, or a beautiful mind. I love the plot the direction, photography, everything about it is so awesome.....my favorite partis the judge scene & when they talk about Led Zeppelin (my favorite band) I definitely consider this a two thumbs up production

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Review for "The Client"
Review: The storyline itself staggers with trepidation, but the performance is most convincing. Brad Renfro plays the role of Mark Sway, a troubled youth from the wrong side of the tracks who stumbles upon a suicide and cataracts into an ornery world where all the rules have gone out the window.

In desperate times, he makes a friend in Reggie Love (Sarandon), who is the concoction of an intense attorney, and benevolent parent. Her role is promising from beginning to end. I think their companionship intrigued me the most; how at times it was a risky alliance, and other times it was very entertaining.

[Five] stars in my book. Watch it. It's a ...good film.


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