I am not the biggest fan of movies or TV shows about court, lawyers, or the justice system. But "Presumed Innocent" is one of my favorite movies. This is because the film excels in almost every area: It is exceptionally directed, acted, edited, and written. It has compelling and interesting characters that seem often overlooked by other legal dramas, and their dialogue and relationships with each other is entertaining and convincing.
The story is intriguing and technical, not tedious, but enlightening. As a prosecutor who knows the system well enough, Harrison Ford struggles with it to prove his innocence, despite a vast amount of evidence that seems to prove that he is guilty of murder. What is best about his character, a very hardworking and intelligent prosecutor who probably never misses a shred of evidence, is his two-dimensional weakness: his lust for the woman who will become a murder victim. He turns into an obsessive stalker, following and confronting Greta Scacchi and calling her at all hours and hanging up on her like a "little kid." We can see his pain and Harrison Ford is not worried about appearing tortured and pathetic.
The supporting characters are excellently casted and all deliver great performances. Paul Winfield is funny and authoritative as the judge presiding the case. He adds more personality to his judge than do most cinematic judges who just call out "overruled," etc to quarreling attorneys. I particularly liked his response to the prosecutor's attempt to use Ford's "You're right!" in response to being accused of murder as evidence. "Oh, come on!" that really means, "you're wrong," or "your momma!" as Winfield explains it. John Spencer, as a detective and Ford's best friend presents a colorful and believable relationship in a cop and prosecutor team. But in my opinion, the most memorable actor and character in this film is Raul Julia. Almost all of the best scenes and memorable moments involve him, as Ford's former adversary-turned defense attorney. Julia is very commanding and analytical. He strategizes and uses his logic well, countering Ford's ideas. His performance, along with the well written dialogue, help make scenes very interesting: Julia convinces Ford to take the fifth on the stand, Ford embarassingly states to Julia that he is "innocent," something that this defense attorney has probably heard from all of his guilty clients. Every time that Raul Julia councels Ford, we are convinced that it is advice that should be taken.
All of the intricacies involving evidence and the trial build up the pressure until we reach the climax of the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, do so before someone casually reveals the end for you. This film was very popular upon its release, and so was the book, but I'm not sure how many people refer to it today with a genre that is over-impacted. This is a film that should be seen and not forgotten. Grade: A.
The story is intriguing and technical, not tedious, but enlightening. As a prosecutor who knows the system well enough, Harrison Ford struggles with it to prove his innocence, despite a vast amount of evidence that seems to prove that he is guilty of murder. What is best about his character, a very hardworking and intelligent prosecutor who probably never misses a shred of evidence, is his two-dimensional weakness: his lust for the woman who will become a murder victim. He turns into an obsessive stalker, following and confronting Greta Scacchi and calling her at all hours and hanging up on her like a "little kid." We can see his pain and Harrison Ford is not worried about appearing tortured and pathetic.
The supporting characters are excellently casted and all deliver great performances. Paul Winfield is funny and authoritative as the judge presiding the case. He adds more personality to his judge than do most cinematic judges who just call out "overruled," etc to quarreling attorneys. I particularly liked his response to the prosecutor's attempt to use Ford's "You're right!" in response to being accused of murder as evidence. "Oh, come on!" that really means, "you're wrong," or "your momma!" as Winfield explains it. John Spencer, as a detective and Ford's best friend presents a colorful and believable relationship in a cop and prosecutor team. But in my opinion, the most memorable actor and character in this film is Raul Julia. Almost all of the best scenes and memorable moments involve him, as Ford's former adversary-turned defense attorney. Julia is very commanding and analytical. He strategizes and uses his logic well, countering Ford's ideas. His performance, along with the well written dialogue, help make scenes very interesting: Julia convinces Ford to take the fifth on the stand, Ford embarassingly states to Julia that he is "innocent," something that this defense attorney has probably heard from all of his guilty clients. Every time that Raul Julia councels Ford, we are convinced that it is advice that should be taken.
All of the intricacies involving evidence and the trial build up the pressure until we reach the climax of the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, do so before someone casually reveals the end for you. This film was very popular upon its release, and so was the book, but I'm not sure how many people refer to it today with a genre that is over-impacted. This is a film that should be seen and not forgotten. Grade: A.