Presumed Innocent: Review By ejk1

Scott Turow. Interesting fellow he is. A successful lawyer decides one day to begin writing novels. Part of me hopes to be able to succeed like this man. And, if I can be successful in law and as a novelist, I'll consider myself extremely lucky. But that is really neither here nor there--I've yet to go to law school, and who knows if I will ever have the drive to write a novel of any length. Regardless, this review is not about my life goals; it is about what is probably Scott Turow's most successful novel, both in print and film, Presumed Innocent.

Presumed Innocent is one interesting tale. Carol Polhemus, an assistant prosecutor in Kindle County, is murdered. Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford), the County's chief deputy prosecutor, is given the case by his boss Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy). This puts Rusty in a very difficult situation. He made the mistake of having an affair with Polhemus (Greta Scacchi), who was basically nothing more than a sexually manipulative strumpet who used men to advance her ambitions. Compounding this problem is the fact that Rusty is obsessed with Polhemus, and even though their affair ended he thinks of her night and day. So Rusty goes about his job while trying to keep the details of his affair under wraps. However, this makes his behavior seem odd, and eventually evidence surfaces that points to Rusty as the main suspect in the killing of Polhemus. Seeing sharks in the water around him, Rusty does the only thing he can think of: hire Sandy Stern (Raul Julia), the top defense attorney in the area and Rusty's usual courtroom nemesis. Yessir, when trying to save one's ass, one tends to find strange bedfellows. What follows is a complex tale of courtroom drama, betrayal, and possibly the darkest turn of insanity a character has taken at the end of the film since Sunset Boulevard.

The story in Presumed Innocent is excellent, with the only drawbacks being of course the dated feel. Forensic science plays no part in the tale, because it was almost nonexistent in 1990. One can only imagine what the result of the case would have been had the ability to use forensics been around. Aside from this, the story of Presumed Innocent is excellent. It has everything a courtroom drama should have-- a palpable reason to believe that the suspect is guilty, and an equally powerful feeling that he is innocent. We see great maneuvering, especially by Sandy, which makes it all seem so real. Even more fascinating is the twisting road the story takes to get to its conclusion. One quickly realizes that the subplots that swirl around Rusty are essential to finding the story behind the darkness of Carolyn Polhemus et al. And when we get to that final moment, I must admit the first time I watched it, I was blown away. In all honesty, I did not see the conclusion coming, which always leaves me feeling more satisfied than when I can figure out the story (to use a contrast, I knew what was coming in the final half hour of Spider-Man 3, and hated every moment in the theater because of that fact). Kudos to Turow and co. for keeping me guessing until the end.

Acting was pretty much top notch. Ford was great in a rather subdued performance. It's odd seeing him play someone with such a low key attitude, yet he also displayed great emotion. Julia was magnetic as Sandy Stern. I have no desire to be a criminal lawyer, but if I did, I would want to be like him. Julia was suave, sophisticated, and clearly in a league of his own. Dennehy was usual Dennehy--let's face it, that man is the definition of intensity. Greta Scacchi was so seductive as Carolyn Polhemus that I believe I would do the same thing Rusty did, but then again I have a (unhealthy?) thing for blondes. Bonnie Bedelia, as Barabara Sabich, the wife of Rusty, was great as well. She played the role of supportive wife very well. There are other good performances as well. I liked Paul Warfield as Judge Lyttle, even though he may not be the most scrupulous judge ever. Joe Grifasi, as the prosecutor in Rusty's case, plays the role of a sniveling, loathsome tool very well.

Director Alan Pakula does a fine job. He handles the pacing of this film in a good manner. Although some may complain that the film moves slowly, it is my opinion that Presumed Innocent's slow burn is not a bad thing. I like films that take their time in telling their tale, especially when they are this intricate. I really like how Pakula keeps the ending, as dark as it is, running at the same pace as the rest of the movie. One could easily see how Pakula could have been tempted to speed up the concluding action, but he never does.He keeps it as is, and I believe that is to the film's betterment.

Presumed Innocent is a very good courtroom drama. While it will never be in the same stratosphere as the greatest of courtroom dramas (To Kill A Mockingbird, Judgement At Nuremberg, and 12 Angry Men, to name a few), it accomplishes what it set out to do. This film provides much entertainment, and raises more than enough doubt as to whether Rusty Sabich is the victim of a frame job or guilty of being the jilted lover who murders for revenge. Presumed Innocent is an intelligent film, and to me that is worth more than any million dollar explosion celluloid can muster.