Rent The Client on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: John Grisham (novel), Akiva Goldsman and Robert Getchell (screenplay)
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Renfro, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Anthony Edwards, Ossie Davis, J. T. Walsh, Will Patton, Bradley Whitford, Kim Coates, William H. Macy
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
A young boy witnesses the suicide of a mafia lawyer and then hires an attorney to protect him when the District Attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family.
Verdict
It follows the Grisham formula of a character that knows too much and is subsequently on the run, but this adds the emotional underpinning of a lawyer taking care of a child client that invokes a mother child relationship. That adds a lot of stakes to the court case as it's not just about the law but protecting a kid. Including a smug prosecutor that values his case more than people only galvanizes our hope this kid's lawyer can save him.
Watch It.
Review
Two kid siblings goofing off in the woods stumble upon a mafia lawyer trying to asphyxiate himself in his car. Mark (Brad Renfro) tries to stop him by removing the hose from the tailpipe. The lawyer catches him on the second attempt, forcing Mark into the car. The lawyer admits he's afraid of someone, and he's unhinged. Mark manages to escape, but the lawyer shoots himself leaving the kids traumatized. Mark's little brother becomes comatose, overcome by what he witnessed.
Mark is concerned about admitting what he saw, afraid that he'll be in trouble somehow. He needs a lawyer, and he finds Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon). Initially he thinks she's a secretary, stating his dislike for lawyers and how they've shafted his family. Reggie points out that if male lawyers have screwed him over, maybe he doesn't need another guy.
 |
| Brad Renfroe, Susan Sarandon play Mark Sway, Reggie Love |
U.S. attorney "Reverend Roy" Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) thinks Mark knows something and sees this case as a way to bolster his political ambitions by taking down the mob. Roy and his posse try to question Mark. Not only is his mother not present, they advise him he doesn't need a lawyer. They want to railroad him, and that's when Reggie comes in and points out not only everything they've done wrong but that it was recorded. Roy knows he's been had, and it's a great exchange. Roy realizes he's facing a formidable lawyer and won't be able to pull a fast one.
Mark fires Reggie, taking issue with her past. The mafia are also after Mark, wanting to erase any shred of evidence. When Roy gets Mark detained, it's probably safer for him where the mafia can't reach him. Roy hopes that detention in prison will force Mark to admit what he knows.
They end up in court where Reggie has to protect Mark against the attorney and the mob. Roy claims they're playing games when Mark pleads the fifth. The judge realizes there is more to the case, but he allows it. That also means Mark will remain detained.
 |
| Brad Renfroe, Anthony Edwards, Susan Sarandon, Bradley Whitford, William Sanderson, Tommy Lee Jones, Anthony Heald |
This story follows a very familiar Grisham plan. Most of his adaptations feature a character that knows too much and must run from danger the entire movie. What gives this a boost is the emotional connection between Mark and Reggie. It's a parental relationship where she must protect him as he can't. It's the strongest bond in the movie and of any in the Grisham movies I've seen. The other adults in the movie are only concerned with their own interests.
 |
| Title Card |
No comments :
Post a Comment