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Summary: Judd and Freeman won`t Let You Down
Review: In High Crimes Ashley Judd plays an attorney forced to defend her husband. He's charged with murder in a past life she didn't even know about To help her Claire hires a grubby, disgruntled ex-marine lawyer named Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman), who's eager to take on the military brass that disgraced him years before.
even the The plot was predictable but Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman make this film work and Jim Caviezel is great in this film If you've been searching for a good suspense-thriller kept you guessing right up till the end pick this movie .The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, which intensifies suspenseful scenes. Several Special Features are also included on this DVD: audio commentary with Director Carl Franklin, six featurettes and the original theatrical trailer
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Summary: Military Conspiracy
Review: Attorney Claire Kubik has it all--a successful career, a loving marriage, and a beautiful home--but she may lose it all when the FBI suddenly arrests her husband, Tom, for the murder of civilians during a Green Beret operation which took place in South America years before. Claire quickly discovers that her courtroom wiles are inadequate for a military court-martial, so she hires an ex-military lawyer, played by Morgan Freeman, a self-styled "wild card" to assist her. Judd delivers her usual powerful performance, and Freeman, as her sidekick plays a good contrast. While the film is well produced, well acted, etc, I disliked the degree of audience manipulation. It's great to have a film that "keeps you guessing to the end"--most don't--however, in "High Crimes," we are kept guessing to the end, simply because of manipulation--not because of the intricate plot.
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Summary: Formulaic story saved by strong performances
Review: Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd ("Kiss the Girls") team up again in this courtroom thriller, which is entertaining despite its worn plot and obvious ending. The reason it doesn't descend to a level consistent with the screenplay's unoriginality is the superior acting by the three principal performers. Claire (Ashley Judd) and Tom (James Caviezel) are living an idyllic and romantic married life, trying hard to have a baby. Everything is going swimmingly until one day Tom is arrested and charged with murder and war crimes dating back to his military service and raid in El Salvatore years earlier. It seems Tom's entire identity is a lie and his name is really Ron Chapman, a former Special Forces commando. Claire, who is conveniently a prominent defense lawyer, takes up his case determined to prove he is innocent, choosing to believe his denials despite the fact that everything she knows about him is a fabrication. She hires Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman) to assist her because until he became a broken down alcoholic, he was once one of the top lawyers in the military. The film is paced well and balanced between courtroom drama and other related storylines like constant death threats, a dirty general and a mystery man. It is fairly standard fare, but the presentation is engaging. Morgan Freeman is such a terrific actor, that even a trite script can't keep him down. He is wily and insolent as the washed up lawyer with a few tricks left up his sleeve. Freeman projects an unassuming power in his work, full of dynamism yet highly amiable. His interaction with Judd is wonderful, treating her with avuncular kindness and intellectual respect. Ashley Judd is a fine dramatic actor, who returns to serious drama after an ill advised detour into romantic comedy ("Someone Like You"). Judd is razor sharp in this film, coming across as bright, energetic and passionate. She is tough as nails and doesn't back down to pompous military officers or thugs trying to intimidate her. Jim Caviezel rounds out the cast with a strong performance as the accused. This is a tough character because he is so mysterious and duplicitous. Caviezel delivered a strong portrayal of an enigmatic character in "Angel Eyes", so he had some experience with this type of role. He handles the part well, appearing utterly sincere whether his character is telling the truth or not. Amanda Peet gives her standard performance as Claire's hair brained and sex obsessed sister. Peet is no serious dramatic talent, but she has this character down and comes across as believably ditzy and concerned about her sister despite their obvious sibling rivalry. This film doesn't fool anyone with its surprise ending, but it does deliver good suspense, a tried and true formula and some excellent performances. I rated it a 7/10. It's worth a look for viewers who like mysteries.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine, except for the plot
Review: The movie was well acted and well filmed. There were some interesting moments. Unfortunately, by the second half of the film, there are just too many grotesquely unbelieveable things happening. They might as well have had the Road Runner pop out from behind the sofa and resolve disparate plot elements as what actually occured.
A story has to have something unusual going on or it may be boring, but if everything is wierd, you are watching a fantasy or a cartoon.
They start off with Judd as a high-powered lady lawyer. Not common but ok. She is married to an ex-marine enlisted man. Not likely, but concievable. He is a complete sweetheart that has never given her a moments worry in 6 years. But wait, he is also a mass murderer who is going to kill her when she discovers his secret. He travels about the country killing possible witnesses but nobody notices.The entire Marine Corps is full of bad guys that are trying to keep Judd from defending her husband, even though they are innocent. They are getting ready to break Morgan Freeman's neck just for coming in their bar. And so on and on.....
If this was a Tom Green movie you would not expect for it to make sense, but with these actors and a few script changes this could have been an excellent movie. It was very irritating to see the time and talent wasted.
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Summary: Just fair. I'd like to see these two in something better.
Review: Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman are truly a dream team. I love to watch the two of them together. Apparently so do the two of them - because Judd was brought this project and requested that Freeman be brought on board. This movie isn't bad - not bad at all - it's just predictable. Judd's character and her husband (Jim Cavaziel) are lovey dovey (so you know something bad is going to happen to them) in love. What happens is her husband is arrested by the FBI and the military for mass murder. This is a big deal. Judd, being a famed defense lawyer, takes it upon herself to defend him in military court. She and everyone else knows that he has been framed. Or has he? Freeman plays a former JAG corp lawyer who is now a recovering alocholic and assists Judd's character with the case. The film is interesting and has some really exciting scenes, but even they weren't presented as well or as suspenseful as they could have been (I blame this on the director and editor, not the actors). Speaking of the director...There are times when I really liked what he did with the film and others I didn't. One of the really neat things I liked was that on several occasions he did this "rough close up" (my term) effect that I haven't seen utilized since the old Dirty Harry and Bullitt type movies of the 1970's. It's really kind of cool and fit in this film. It's just a shame that there wasn't more action here. A decent car chase scene built into this film would have fit. There is one, but it's just a few seconds long (shame). This film just wasn't enough to satisfy my appettite. It was too predictable and the audience only got to really know the lead characters well. It would have helped if we'd had more character data on the "villains" and been sent down a few more wrong paths and provided more red herrings. I did like this film, but I know that so much more could have been done with it. I'm absolutely nuts about the two leads and I'd pay to see them read the newspaper aloud, but Hollywood really needs to pair the two of them up in an action packed action thriller. Let's get it right the next time.
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Summary: Good Flick!
Review: Let me just start by saying, chemistry between actors can make a good movie great! Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman have proved they work well together before in Kiss the Girls, and they do it again in High Crimes.
The movie starts out with Judd's characters world being turned upside down, when she finds out her husband is not who he says he is. Freeman, a recovering alcholholic, and a lawyer, helps her sift through the world of military justice, to clear her husbands name. That is no easy task when you are being threatened every time you get close to the truth.
High Crimes is and emotional roller coaster, that does not let you down. All in all, I believe this movie is worth watching and I look forward to any movie that combines Judd and Freeman in the future.
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Summary: Fast Paced And Well Acted
Review: "High Crimes" is based on a book of the same name by Joseph Finder, and is so frequently the case, the book is better than the movie. Which isn't to say that this is a bad movie; in fact, it is a very good one. In today's world, fascinated with trials and the legal system, the emphasis on courtroom events is to be expected, but as a retired lawyer with 30 years in the Courts, I find this aspect a bit ho-hum. But the underlying plot of a military atrocity being possibly covered up by the court martial of a scapegoat NCO is effectively rendered here. Ashley Judd, who I view as a B- level actress does a commendable job as the lawyer wife of the accused ex-soldier. Morgan Freeman, who I rank as an A- actor, and a favorite of mine, is excellent as the alchoholic ex-military lawyer who tries to help defend the accused, played very well by Jim Caviezel.It is a fast paced flic with a surprise twist ending that is a good effort and an enjoyable movie.
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Summary: Judd + Freeman=Blockbuster!!
Review: If you liked "A Few Good Men" you will enjoy this one!!
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Summary: Movielover
Review: If you don't usually like action movies, you'll probably like this one. Not too bloody or horrible, only a few shocking images. I've never read the book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was arguing with myself over his innocence or guilt throughout, on the edge of my seat, wide eyed, awestruck, and admittedly nervous. The actors are some of my fav's and I thought they were all convincing in their roles portraying human nature in it's less than perfect states. I recommend it to the unjaded and uncalloused. It has just the right amount of suspense and mystery to keep you hooked and make your head spin.
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Summary: Sometimes Predictability Would Be Better
Review: As more and more movies get made, the quest to do something different becomes more of a challenge. And if a movie is called predictable that's generally seen as a put-down. But of all the hit-and-miss efforts to make something that won't incur that label, some make good old tried-and-true formulae and predictability look not so bad by comparison. One device that can invite a misfire that would make predictability look better is that of twist endings. A few years ago, PRIMAL FEAR was the first movie in which a twist ending made me feel cheated out of the very movie premise I had bought into. I just invested too much energy into the body of the movie taken at face value. Then when the ending turned all that on its head, I felt that the heart of my movie-going experience was jerked out from under me. The same didn't happen again for a while, but just recently, the phenomenon seems back with a vengeance. With FRAILTY, MURDER BY NUMBERS, and now HIGH CRIMES, movies have got me really on overload with the ending that says, "And now we're going to undermine you're whole movie experience that you just underwent." It has me really nostalgic for many a good old fashioned formulaic and predictable thriller where I can pull for the good guys and in the end they -- are at least still the good guys.
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