Rating: 
Summary: Book was better, but catch the flick anyway
Review: Harrison Ford is Rozat "Rusty" Sabich, the chief assistant Prosecuting Attorney of the fictional Kindle County. For 13 years he has had to essentially run the office for his boss, the titanic but now well-worn Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy). Only weeks before the vote for his next turn, one of Horgan's and Rusty's prosecutors, the lovely Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi) is found brutally and fatally beaten in her apartment. Suspicions are first directed at those she had prosecuted while assigned to the office's sex crimes division, but there are no signs of forced entry, and Carolyn herself had a rep for pursuing the dangerous side of things. As the office's no. 2, Sabich is given the case by Horgan. When Carolyn's case-load is found to contain a "B file" - a complaint of official misconduct by a county official - Sabich re-directs the investigation toward the office. Two other factors enhance the intrigue: the upcoming PA election has Horgan facing off against the ambitious Nico Della Guardia, a former PA who sought to undermine Horgan at every chance while working for him; but the biggest factor is the secret that Rusty himself carries - his own secret affair with Polhemus. When questions arise about how Sabich handles the evidence - ordering his detective to disregard phone records indicating numerous calls to Carolyn from his own house; ordering the print lab not compare fingerprints taken from a glass found at the scene against those of county employees - Sabich finds himself under suspicion. Horgan's loss at the polls, putting an enemy at the head of the PA's office, seals Sabich's fate, and the prosecutorial muscle that he once wielded is now directed at him. Against him is former colleague Della Guardia (called "Delay" because of a bed rep for missing deadlines), and Tommy Molto, a zealous prosecutor who'll stop at nothing to prove his case, even if that requires him to make the case credible or (as proves critical) to locate crucial bits of evidence. Two critical dangers are ironic ones - Ray Horgan and Lipranzer, the detective who does all the police work while Rusty has the case, and follows all of his suspicious orders, like ignoring those phone calls. Horgan is dangerous because, believing the prosecutor's story, he feels betrayed by Rusty, and enhances the prosecution by claiming that Rusty actively sought to head the case. Lipranzer is dangerous for the opposite reason - he clearly believes in Rusty's innocence, an irrational gut reaction that won't make points with any jury. Despite the mindless zeal of the prosecution, the notorious incompetence of its expert witness (a pathologist who entered that field, the joke goes, because a corpse can't sue you for malpractice), the inexplicable disappearance of a critical piece of evidence, the sage advocacy of Rusty's defense attorney Alejandro "Sandy" Stern and a judge who does not so much sympathize with Rusty as clearly hate Molto and Della Guardia, Sabich feels condemned. He is clearly guilty of something.Harrison Ford plays against type as a sap lawyer who's rejected by a beautiful and powerful woman and nearly destroys his own marriage. It's interesting to see all those characters and places brought to life in Turow's great prose, even if not enlivened that well on the screen. There's a lot of opportunity that goes wasted here - we never really see Sandy Stern until Sabich is accused (he remains a formidable presence in the book prior to the indictment) and the prosecution itself comes off only as a bunch of hacks (they are, but Turow gives dimension to Tommy Molto's monkish zeal, setting him up as a potential failed rival for Carolyn). Nico's and Rusty's complex relationship is overlooked completely, as well as Rusty's lack of ambition - readers of the book know how Rusty's unwillingness to try unseating Horgan himself critically underlay Carolyn's murder. The draconian corruption of the Kindle County judicial system and the seemy underworld of the "Night Saints" barely merit a mention. Alan Pakula directs as if he could compensate for these gaps by drenching the film in a sort of dreary sloth - everything is slow and downbeat. Have you read the book? This movie would be perfect for a list of disappointing novelizations of great books, but ones you have to see. Even if you read the book (and maybe especially if you have) you should check this out anyway. Just make sure that you don't read the book first.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST
Review: Harrison Ford is solid all the way thru in this Edgy film.not since Body Heat did a Movie involving the Law from within&out grasp your attention all at once in one Glance.strong Vibe and Ending.One of Ford's Best films ever.
Rating: 
Summary: Presumed Pakula
Review: I first saw this drama twice when it was released theatrically. It made a pretty stunning impression, but there were a couple nagging flaws. Now, watching it again so many years later, all the meaningful shots are well timed. Harrison Ford is the star of this well-crafted thriller, but nearly everybody shines to amazing degrees. Prosecutorial politics are the backdrop, and the viewer comes to realize that the legal community of the criminal justice system is a very small world. This was the first time I saw the "Ford glower," an expression that he exaggerates to ridiculous extremes in the amazingly glum "Random Hearts." Here, he modulates the expression to perfection. Everybody in this movie is corrupt, except for Ford (he's merely an adulterer), but his performance makes him believable as a very likely suspect in the murder of his co-worker. Inept prosecution combines with Raul Julia's impeccable defense to make for hugely entertaining courtroom scenes. Paul Winfield's acerbic judge adds greatly to the courtroom scenes. The sets are magnificent, shifting mood for each location. Pakula paces his story well (except for the final confession scene, which is ridiculously drawn out), though the "red herring" is too confusing on initial viewings to make convincing sense. It's a great rental, but, in a movie where just about everybody looks bad, racial minorities seem to be especially corrupt or inept. Notable exception: Raul Julia as the clever defense counsel, but he's not above blackmail, and he's got an Anglicized name. Oh Raul, what are we to do without you?
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining flick
Review: I rented this because I just read and reviewed the book which was excellent, and perhaps that's why the three star rating. It's very hard to capture the "between the lines" and subtext going on in the movie, although I will say they got a lot of the lines just right, taken in some cases verbatim and as imagined from the book.
The problem, of course, is that Turow's writing is very indepth and that just can't be captured on film, and since the movie and story are not much of a "fast-paced" action thriller, I believe it fell short a bit.
It's still worth seeing, read the book if you can, but I'd hesitate to recommend this as a library item, only because it's not something you can really watch over and over, it's too slow and once you know the twists, what'd be the point?
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining flick
Review: I rented this because I just read and reviewed the book which was excellent, and perhaps that's why the three star rating. It's very hard to capture the "between the lines" and subtext going on in the movie, although I will say they got a lot of the lines just right, taken in some cases verbatim and as imagined from the book.
The problem, of course, is that Turow's writing is very indepth and that just can't be captured on film, and since the movie and story are not much of a "fast-paced" action thriller, I believe it fell short a bit.
It's still worth seeing, read the book if you can, but I'd hesitate to recommend this as a library item, only because it's not something you can really watch over and over, it's too slow and once you know the twists, what'd be the point?
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining flick
Review: I rented this because I just read and reviewed the book which was excellent, and perhaps that's why the three star rating. It's very hard to capture the "between the lines" and subtext going on in the movie, although I will say they got a lot of the lines just right, taken in some cases verbatim and as imagined from the book.
The problem, of course, is that Turow's writing is very indepth and that just can't be captured on film, and since the movie and story are not much of a "fast-paced" action thriller, I believe it fell short a bit.
It's still worth seeing, read the book if you can, but I'd hesitate to recommend this as a library item, only because it's not something you can really watch over and over, it's too slow and once you know the twists, what'd be the point?
Rating:
Summary: Guilty or Not Guilty?
Review: If you are looking for a suspenseful movie with unsuspecting twists and turns, complete with a surprise ending, Presumed Innocent should fulfill your needs. It is an incredible film that takes place in a corrupt judicial system. Harrison Ford plays a chief deputy and highly regarded prosecutor who is appointed to the homicide case of his fellow co-worker and former lover. Reluctant to agree because of remaining emotional ties and fear of hurting his wife all over again, Ford finally gives in to appease his demanding boss. He is not on the case long before there is a turn of events, and instead of looking for a defendant, he becomes the defendant. What makes this movie so interesting and appealing is that throughout the duration of the film, the viewer is left trying to decipher whether Ford is guilty or not. Incriminating events, such as a note from the deceased the day after the murder reading "I know it's you," are overturned with convenient coincidences, manufactured evidence, and uncovered relationships between others, leave you wondering. It is not until the very end that the surprising truth is revealed. I was extremely impressed by this captivating film and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Ford/Julia duo excellent
Review: If you like movies that keep you guessing throughout its duration, this is definitely a must-see movie. Harrison Ford and Raul Julia form an excellent lawyer/client combo. Definitely one of the best movies regarding matters of law that I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Drama of Trauma
Review: Like a tidal wave of tension and emotion, rising and falling with love and betrayal, and finally crashing down to beach us on a hard reality I never imagined.
Rating:
Summary: A really great movie, killer story and very dramatic
Review: Okay, this is one great movie. Get it, really. A thrilling story, with superb acting that makes it fun to watch it again and again. I won't tell you about the story, since others have, but it's a wonderful movie for you.
Some notes: the DVD version is *not* that great. It seems grainy to me, I don't know why. Far lower quality in transferring than most of the other DVDs I own.
Also, I have to comment on the stupid scene on the boat, at the end, with the glass. They're on a boat, but it's obviously a movie screen in the back. There's *no* sound that you'd have on a boat going through New York harbor. This scene is so hillarious...
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