Take 4: Order in the Court
As I mentioned in the preview of this week's review, there are two things that can happen in a movie that are guaranteed to keep me glued to it: a poker game and a courtroom scene. I focus on the second of these (couldn't find a lot of good, meaty poker movies, apart from Rounders, which I've seen several times) in this review. Can't really call them courtroom dramas because 1) not all are dramas, and 2) they don't all actually have courtroom scenes, much to my surprise. But lots of debate and presentation of the facts...so that will do in a pinch.
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The Runaway Jury (2003)
The Plot Thickens: What the prosecution and defense don't know is that there is a third party in the game...pulling strings from the inside and willing to sell the jury to the highest bidder.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're in New Orleans. Not a lot of bayou scenes (this is a courtroom drama, after all), but you do get a couple of shots of the trolleys that go through the residential districts.
The Starting Line-Up: Crikey...we got a lot of folks here: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz (The Mummy), Jeremy Piven (PCU)
Honorable Mentions: Quite a few other people that surprised me by being in the movie: Dylan McDermott (The Practice), Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Joanna Going (Phantoms...okay, so that's where I know her from), Bruce McGill (Animal House and MacGyver), and Orlando Jones (MadTV). Whew!
Favorite Character: Three-way tie between Nick Easter (John Cusack), Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) and Marlee (Rachel Weisz). Easter ends up having a lot more up his sleeves in the brains and observation department than at first appears. Plus, who doesn't like John Cusack? Rohr is the idealistic prosecutor, and just presents himself as an all-around likeable guy. Marlee is shrewd and clever, has all her bases covered, and you can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy each time Hackman's character thinks he has everything in the palm of his hand and she turns around and throws his plans into chaos. Brilliant.
Random Trivia: In the novel, the lawsuit is filed against a tobacco company. This screenplay was in development for several years and, after the release of The Insider (1999), all subsequent scripts involved a lawsuit against a gun manufacturer. However, the movie does contain various references to tobacco and the law.
Great Quotes: Rankin Fitch: "Gentlemen, trials are too important to be left up to juries."
Curt's Take: "Must See" - As I mentioned above, I just love a courtroom drama. But if there is something that I love just as much, it's seeing the self-important and egotistical stumble. And Gene Hackman's character of Rankin Fitch is almost as self-important and egotistical as they come. It's BEAUTIFUL each time Marlee screws his character over...and I actually felt sick to my stomach each time he pulled ahead in the game of "Who Controls the Jury." I almost wish I had read the John Grisham novel this was based on before I saw this, but still...great film.
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The Runaway Jury (2003)In the Beginning: A legal case revolving around gun control heads to the courtroom, and both the prosecution and the defense hire experts to help them fill the jury with people who they feel will likely bring their side a win. Gene Hackman plays the defense's jury expert...and isn't beyond bending a few rules to make sure things go his way.
The Plot Thickens: What the prosecution and defense don't know is that there is a third party in the game...pulling strings from the inside and willing to sell the jury to the highest bidder.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're in New Orleans. Not a lot of bayou scenes (this is a courtroom drama, after all), but you do get a couple of shots of the trolleys that go through the residential districts.
The Starting Line-Up: Crikey...we got a lot of folks here: John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz (The Mummy), Jeremy Piven (PCU)
Honorable Mentions: Quite a few other people that surprised me by being in the movie: Dylan McDermott (The Practice), Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Joanna Going (Phantoms...okay, so that's where I know her from), Bruce McGill (Animal House and MacGyver), and Orlando Jones (MadTV). Whew!
Favorite Character: Three-way tie between Nick Easter (John Cusack), Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) and Marlee (Rachel Weisz). Easter ends up having a lot more up his sleeves in the brains and observation department than at first appears. Plus, who doesn't like John Cusack? Rohr is the idealistic prosecutor, and just presents himself as an all-around likeable guy. Marlee is shrewd and clever, has all her bases covered, and you can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy each time Hackman's character thinks he has everything in the palm of his hand and she turns around and throws his plans into chaos. Brilliant.
Random Trivia: In the novel, the lawsuit is filed against a tobacco company. This screenplay was in development for several years and, after the release of The Insider (1999), all subsequent scripts involved a lawsuit against a gun manufacturer. However, the movie does contain various references to tobacco and the law.
Great Quotes: Rankin Fitch: "Gentlemen, trials are too important to be left up to juries."
Curt's Take: "Must See" - As I mentioned above, I just love a courtroom drama. But if there is something that I love just as much, it's seeing the self-important and egotistical stumble. And Gene Hackman's character of Rankin Fitch is almost as self-important and egotistical as they come. It's BEAUTIFUL each time Marlee screws his character over...and I actually felt sick to my stomach each time he pulled ahead in the game of "Who Controls the Jury." I almost wish I had read the John Grisham novel this was based on before I saw this, but still...great film.
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Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003)
The Plot Thickens: Elle leaves her job at the law firm to head to Washington, where she tests out her legal acumen on the political world in order to pass a bill that bans cosmetic testing on animals.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: While we start out in Boston, where Elle lives and works, the events happen mostly in Washington, DC.
The Starting Line-Up: Reese Witherspoon reprises her role as Elle Woods, but we also have Sally Fields as the Congresswoman who takes Elle under her wing, and Bob Newhart as the doorman at Elle's residence who knows a lot about the ins and outs of Washington politics.
Honorable Mentions: Bruce McGill (Animal House, MacGyver), who played the judge in Runaway Jury, here plays Congressman Marks, who Elle must win over to her side. Also, Mary Lynn Rajskub plays the shy aide who Elle befriends...for those of you who are fans of the series 24, you'll recognize Rajskub as Chloe, from Season Three and Four (and Five?).
Favorite Character: No characters really stuck out as a "favorite" for me. For the most part, you can't help but root for Elle Woods. Kind of had a "fish out of water" thing going on. Reese was looking a little chunky, though.
Random Trivia: Reese Witherspoon was pregnant during filming. Oops. Sorry about that "chunky" comment, Reese.
Great Quotes: Congressman Marks: "Oh, to hell with it. My rottweiler Les is of the homosexual orientation. There, I said it. I'm out. My name is Stan Marks, I'm a conservative, Republican NRA spokesman...and my dog is gay. And guess what...I couldn't be prouder of the little flamer."
Curt's Take: "Not a Priority" - It wasn't a terrible film, but it wasn't nearly as amusing as Legally Blonde, which I actually enjoyed. This one's just...cute. And I really can't handle cute films all that well. I did chuckle at several points, though. So if you liked the first movie in the series, you might want to catch this sometime, but like i said, it's not a priority. If you didn't like the first one, don't bother with this one.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003)In the Beginning: Elle Woods, now a lawyer, is planning her wedding, but wants to invite her chihuahua's mom (I'm not making this up, I'm afraid). Unfortunately, the dog is under lock and key at a facility where cosmetics are tested on animals.
The Plot Thickens: Elle leaves her job at the law firm to head to Washington, where she tests out her legal acumen on the political world in order to pass a bill that bans cosmetic testing on animals.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: While we start out in Boston, where Elle lives and works, the events happen mostly in Washington, DC.
The Starting Line-Up: Reese Witherspoon reprises her role as Elle Woods, but we also have Sally Fields as the Congresswoman who takes Elle under her wing, and Bob Newhart as the doorman at Elle's residence who knows a lot about the ins and outs of Washington politics.
Honorable Mentions: Bruce McGill (Animal House, MacGyver), who played the judge in Runaway Jury, here plays Congressman Marks, who Elle must win over to her side. Also, Mary Lynn Rajskub plays the shy aide who Elle befriends...for those of you who are fans of the series 24, you'll recognize Rajskub as Chloe, from Season Three and Four (and Five?).
Favorite Character: No characters really stuck out as a "favorite" for me. For the most part, you can't help but root for Elle Woods. Kind of had a "fish out of water" thing going on. Reese was looking a little chunky, though.
Random Trivia: Reese Witherspoon was pregnant during filming. Oops. Sorry about that "chunky" comment, Reese.
Great Quotes: Congressman Marks: "Oh, to hell with it. My rottweiler Les is of the homosexual orientation. There, I said it. I'm out. My name is Stan Marks, I'm a conservative, Republican NRA spokesman...and my dog is gay. And guess what...I couldn't be prouder of the little flamer."
Curt's Take: "Not a Priority" - It wasn't a terrible film, but it wasn't nearly as amusing as Legally Blonde, which I actually enjoyed. This one's just...cute. And I really can't handle cute films all that well. I did chuckle at several points, though. So if you liked the first movie in the series, you might want to catch this sometime, but like i said, it's not a priority. If you didn't like the first one, don't bother with this one.
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12 Angry Men (1957)
The Plot Thickens: Eleven jury members assume the defendent is guilty, but one refuses to proclaim guilt without first considering the facts. The jury members begin to look deeper into the evidence and to question their own motives and assumptions about the case.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're smack dab in the middle of New York City (they can see the Woolworth's Building from their window and Juror #7 has Yankess tickets).
Honorable Mentions: Jack Klugman (TV's The Odd Couple and Quincy) played Juror #5, while Jack Warden (TV's The Bad News Bears and Crazy Like a Fox) played Juror #7.
Favorite Character: The characters actually seemed pretty one-dimensional, so hard to really relate to any of them. I'll have to go with Juror #12, played by Robert Webber. He works in advertising, so he can't be all bad. I could see me passing time during a boring jury session by playing tic-tac-toe, too.
Random Trivia: There is not a single woman in the cast and only one ('Faith Elliott' ) in the credited crew.
Great Quotes: Juror #6: "You a Yankee fan?" Juror #5: "No, Baltimore." Juror #6: "Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crow bar once a day."
Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - True, it comes in #21 in the IMDB's Top 250 Movies (as rated by viewers). True, it has some great actors in it. True, it shows how prejudice and preconception can get in the way of our judicial system working as well as it should. But...something was lacking that kept this from being a "Must See." A "Worth Considering" isn't had, though. Recall that this just means if the stuff on your "Must See" list isn't available, you should consider getting this. I did like, though, watching the tide shift over time in the deliberation room. Kind of nice to see one rational man try to sway a room of knee-jerk reactionaries.
12 Angry Men (1957)In the Beginning: A young man is on trial for stabbing his father. Twelve jurors must now deliberate on the guilt or innocence of the kid.
The Plot Thickens: Eleven jury members assume the defendent is guilty, but one refuses to proclaim guilt without first considering the facts. The jury members begin to look deeper into the evidence and to question their own motives and assumptions about the case.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: We're smack dab in the middle of New York City (they can see the Woolworth's Building from their window and Juror #7 has Yankess tickets).
The Starting Line-Up: Peter Fonda, as Juror #8. He was really the main player, and hard to say who of the other jury members got second billing.
Honorable Mentions: Jack Klugman (TV's The Odd Couple and Quincy) played Juror #5, while Jack Warden (TV's The Bad News Bears and Crazy Like a Fox) played Juror #7.
Favorite Character: The characters actually seemed pretty one-dimensional, so hard to really relate to any of them. I'll have to go with Juror #12, played by Robert Webber. He works in advertising, so he can't be all bad. I could see me passing time during a boring jury session by playing tic-tac-toe, too.
Random Trivia: There is not a single woman in the cast and only one ('Faith Elliott' ) in the credited crew.
Great Quotes: Juror #6: "You a Yankee fan?" Juror #5: "No, Baltimore." Juror #6: "Baltimore? That's like being hit in the head with a crow bar once a day."
Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - True, it comes in #21 in the IMDB's Top 250 Movies (as rated by viewers). True, it has some great actors in it. True, it shows how prejudice and preconception can get in the way of our judicial system working as well as it should. But...something was lacking that kept this from being a "Must See." A "Worth Considering" isn't had, though. Recall that this just means if the stuff on your "Must See" list isn't available, you should consider getting this. I did like, though, watching the tide shift over time in the deliberation room. Kind of nice to see one rational man try to sway a room of knee-jerk reactionaries.
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'Breaker' Morant (1980)
The Plot Thickens: Morant and two of his officers return to be court-martialed for the execution of the Boer rebels, only to find they are being offered up as scapegoats in order to arrive at a peaceful end to the war. Maj. Thomas arrives on the scene with very little time to prepare a defense for Morant and crew.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: Hell, we're not even in present-day America. We're in South Africa (Pietersburg, in Transvaal, specifically) in 1901, toward the end of the Boer War. See, the Boer War was fought between the countries of the British Empire and the Boer population of South Africa, who were mostly Dutch. While the issues behind the war were complex, basically the Boers wanted to retain their independence from England. By the time of the beginning of the movie, British forces uneasily occupied most Boer territory, but thanks to mobile Boer guerilla forces, an outright victory was still being fought for. And who said Take 4 wasn't educational.
The Starting Line-Up: Edward Woodward plays Morant and Jack Thompson plays the defense attorney, Thomas. Thompson, upon further research, also appeared in Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones as "Cliegg Lars." Alrighty then.
Honorable Mentions: Bryan Brown, who I know from the movies FX and FX2 plays one of Morant's men, who is also being court-martialed.
Favorite Character: I really liked Bryan Brown's portrayal of Lt. Handcock, who is a brawler and a womanizer. Was kind of a nice change of pace from the other, stiffer, characters in the film.
Random Trivia: Based on a play by Kenneth Rose, this film won 10 Australian Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Great Quotes: Morant: "Live every day as if it were going to be your last. One day, you're sure to be right."
Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - Heard about this film from my friend James, when I was looking for a fourth movie to complete the "Order in the Court" series. Was pleasantly surprised by it. A slightly different take on the traditional courtroom drama. While it lagged at points, it was easy to keep pace with (especially with the subtities on...it's an Australian-made film). There's nothing spectacular about it that throws it into the "Must See" category, but, still, was very well done (see Random Trivia above).
'Breaker' Morant (1980)In the Beginning: Capt. Hunt of the Bushveldt Carbineers (during the Boer War in South Africa) leads a group of soldiers to a local encampment, only to be ambushed by Boer commandoes. Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant follows the trail of the commandoes, tracking them down and executing them.
The Plot Thickens: Morant and two of his officers return to be court-martialed for the execution of the Boer rebels, only to find they are being offered up as scapegoats in order to arrive at a peaceful end to the war. Maj. Thomas arrives on the scene with very little time to prepare a defense for Morant and crew.
We're Not in Kansas Anymore: Hell, we're not even in present-day America. We're in South Africa (Pietersburg, in Transvaal, specifically) in 1901, toward the end of the Boer War. See, the Boer War was fought between the countries of the British Empire and the Boer population of South Africa, who were mostly Dutch. While the issues behind the war were complex, basically the Boers wanted to retain their independence from England. By the time of the beginning of the movie, British forces uneasily occupied most Boer territory, but thanks to mobile Boer guerilla forces, an outright victory was still being fought for. And who said Take 4 wasn't educational.
The Starting Line-Up: Edward Woodward plays Morant and Jack Thompson plays the defense attorney, Thomas. Thompson, upon further research, also appeared in Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones as "Cliegg Lars." Alrighty then.
Honorable Mentions: Bryan Brown, who I know from the movies FX and FX2 plays one of Morant's men, who is also being court-martialed.
Favorite Character: I really liked Bryan Brown's portrayal of Lt. Handcock, who is a brawler and a womanizer. Was kind of a nice change of pace from the other, stiffer, characters in the film.
Random Trivia: Based on a play by Kenneth Rose, this film won 10 Australian Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Great Quotes: Morant: "Live every day as if it were going to be your last. One day, you're sure to be right."
Curt's Take: "Worth Considering" - Heard about this film from my friend James, when I was looking for a fourth movie to complete the "Order in the Court" series. Was pleasantly surprised by it. A slightly different take on the traditional courtroom drama. While it lagged at points, it was easy to keep pace with (especially with the subtities on...it's an Australian-made film). There's nothing spectacular about it that throws it into the "Must See" category, but, still, was very well done (see Random Trivia above).
posted by Curt at 1:13 PM
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