After reading other reviews, I questioned if I should give it a shot. I'm glad I did. I wasn't blasted back in my seat... but I did enjoy it.
15 Reviews
Easygoing Entertainment
zorroaca19 November 2020
The 'Cliff Notes' version of a great book
susenet3 April 2012
Scott Turow is an amazing writer because of his ability to give full, rich, textured lives to most of the characters in a book. In his fictional world of Kindle county, even the peripheral figures have great,textured back-stories. He has great insight into human nature. It's too bad that you can see almost none of this in the TV movie version of Innocent.
I watched this movie shortly after reading the book. The book was fascinating and absorbing. While the movie was competently made, it lacked most of the detail that makes Turow's books so rich and interesting. The recorded version of the book is 14 hours long, and none of that time was wasted or boring. The movie was probably less than 90 minutes, if you take out the commercial breaks. There was no way for them to compress so much character development and plot into such a small space. And in my opinion, it was wrong to try.
Unfortunately, though the movie isn't awful, I can't think of any reason to recommend it. There are some good performances, but the script is just too skeletal to do justice to this story.
I hope that the next time Scott Turow gets an movie offer on one of his great books, that he holds out for a miniseries instead.
I watched this movie shortly after reading the book. The book was fascinating and absorbing. While the movie was competently made, it lacked most of the detail that makes Turow's books so rich and interesting. The recorded version of the book is 14 hours long, and none of that time was wasted or boring. The movie was probably less than 90 minutes, if you take out the commercial breaks. There was no way for them to compress so much character development and plot into such a small space. And in my opinion, it was wrong to try.
Unfortunately, though the movie isn't awful, I can't think of any reason to recommend it. There are some good performances, but the script is just too skeletal to do justice to this story.
I hope that the next time Scott Turow gets an movie offer on one of his great books, that he holds out for a miniseries instead.
Not Proved
boblipton1 December 2011
This made-for-TV version of the Scott Turow novel is a competently made but not particularly inspiring translation to the small screen. With Bill Pullman and Alfred Molina in two of the leading roles, the acting is fine, but for some reason there seem to be a lot of English-as-a-second-language characters. Molina and the woman who portrays the judge play them with accents.
One of the issues of courtroom dramas on screen is that they take place in a small space and there isn't much real movement going on. Typically, this is covered by an active camera, and that happens here, with short editing cuts and a camera that moves. Injudiciously applied, it becomes frantic, even hysterical, and that happens occasionally here.
Even so, the central story is a solid one. If you have any taste for this genre, it's a couple of hours well spent.
One of the issues of courtroom dramas on screen is that they take place in a small space and there isn't much real movement going on. Typically, this is covered by an active camera, and that happens here, with short editing cuts and a camera that moves. Injudiciously applied, it becomes frantic, even hysterical, and that happens occasionally here.
Even so, the central story is a solid one. If you have any taste for this genre, it's a couple of hours well spent.
Good actors.
nicholsonlarry-7202527 December 2021
A glaring omission that should have been present in all movies involving Barbara is the fact that Barbara is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. There's no research showing mentally ill people who can act normal for years and work as a teacher without doing something to attract attention if not legal problems.
seldome shown film
ksf-213 April 2020
Bill Pullman is Judge Sabich. he has a past, and when one of his own law clerks takes another job, things get complicated. they think they got away with it, but there were witnesses.... lots of them. and lots of people lying to other people. trials. some cheesy acting as the prosecutor's team tries to prove that the judge knocked off the wife. these are all bad people. It's pretty good, for what it is, apparently a TV movie. Written and directed by Mike Robe. not a lot about him out there. this shows on the Epix channel. not a lot of votes or reviews for this one on imdb.
A competent and enjoyable courtroom drama but nothing more
perkypops13 January 2013
This is an efficient movie with some neat twists and turns in the solving of a crime. It is largely inoffensive because it is constructed to the well worn formula of finger pointing to a murderer and then seeing just how many things can change your mind before the credits roll.
The acting is reasonable but not sensational with the victim, Barbara (Marcia Gay Harden), being the best at everything in the back story played out throughout the film. Nothing sticks out as faulty, but it is not especially memorable either.
If you like courtrooms and enjoy trying to work crimes out then it is worth a rental.
The acting is reasonable but not sensational with the victim, Barbara (Marcia Gay Harden), being the best at everything in the back story played out throughout the film. Nothing sticks out as faulty, but it is not especially memorable either.
If you like courtrooms and enjoy trying to work crimes out then it is worth a rental.
Somehow disappointed
cheer885 April 2020
Judging by its all-star cast, this movie should be enough to be put on the pedestal. Yet, its quality more liked those on Lifetime channel. From the beginning, it did not have such suspensions like Hitchcock's movies. Although the plots were complicated, they did not resonate with audiences. The intensity of dark dramas also did not have enough momentum to carry through the whole movie. Its surroundings and paces were also lack of plausibility among other things.
It probably should be remade by different directors. I was not thrilled by those presumptuous plots which the writer tried to reinvent. In my opinion, it should have revealed the wife's mental illness from the beginning. The disclosure in the end was not enough. The wife's struggling needed to be drawn to connect the whole storyline. This missing part is crucial to the whole movie. It indeed required better cinematographers, too. I hope to see a different version of it in the future.
It probably should be remade by different directors. I was not thrilled by those presumptuous plots which the writer tried to reinvent. In my opinion, it should have revealed the wife's mental illness from the beginning. The disclosure in the end was not enough. The wife's struggling needed to be drawn to connect the whole storyline. This missing part is crucial to the whole movie. It indeed required better cinematographers, too. I hope to see a different version of it in the future.
Woulda shoulda coulda
mlapointe-5816914 March 2020
I like courtroom dramas. I liked the original movie, "Presumed Innocent". I'm a big fan of Bill Pullman and Richard Schiff, and an even bigger fan of Marcia Gay Harden.
But this is so very bad I couldn't get past the first minutes. Terrible writing. Bad set design. Bad lighting design. Bad sound design. Directing that's worse than all the other bad stuff. And as a result, lousy acting from actors who are normally terrific.
But this is so very bad I couldn't get past the first minutes. Terrible writing. Bad set design. Bad lighting design. Bad sound design. Directing that's worse than all the other bad stuff. And as a result, lousy acting from actors who are normally terrific.
Molto lead
SnoopyStyle5 January 2020
Judge Rusty Sabich (Bill Pullman) is found with his dead wife Barbara (Marcia Gay Harden) in their bed. He didn't report it for 24 hours and suspicion mounts against him. D.A. Tommy Molto (Richard Schiff) reluctantly allows Jimmy Brand to investigated despite the possibility of another humiliation from a Rusty case. A year earlier is his 60th birthday. There is tension below the surface of his perfect job, their perfect marriage, and perfect family. His clerk Anna Vostick provokes accusation of infidelity. There is a good reason for the accusation and a previous affair led to a big media trial.
This movie needs to be Molto's movie. The audience needs to know only what Molto knows. The audience needs to learn what Molto learns. The computer thing needs to be more clearly explained. I get the explanation but it needs to be physically shown. I'm not a Scott Turow reader. I'm not sure how he attacks the story but I'd definitely make Molto the protagonist. This is messy and the Sabich family is not appealing. The most compelling section is the D.A. group come up with Barbara's revenge premise.
This movie needs to be Molto's movie. The audience needs to know only what Molto knows. The audience needs to learn what Molto learns. The computer thing needs to be more clearly explained. I get the explanation but it needs to be physically shown. I'm not a Scott Turow reader. I'm not sure how he attacks the story but I'd definitely make Molto the protagonist. This is messy and the Sabich family is not appealing. The most compelling section is the D.A. group come up with Barbara's revenge premise.
Game of Innocence from a Game of Law
raennerr28 June 2021
Trurow's novel was long and dealt with all the legal details unfolding with tremendous justice and competence. Think of this movie as a very abridged version of the novel trying to cram in a lot of character and plot development with a lot of very competent actors. There are 'hints' of Barbara Sabich's psychological problems from the onset, and you have to deftly catch them to make sense of the movie as it develops. Of course, Marcia Gay Harden does justice playing the part very carefully and not obviously if you don't look for her frailties from the start. Bill Pullman playing Judge Rusty Sabich, his son played by Callard Harris, the court clerk who ends up being the mysterious mistress for the prosecution and girlfriend played by Mariana Klaveno are all capably performed considering the pressures of an 'abridged' version. The prosection played by Richard Schiff and Tahmoh Penikett - the latter plays an over enthusiastic, careless and doltz of an assistant prosecutor to Schiff's diligence and care, while the defense handled by Alfred Molina and Janet Kidder are just great at letting the prosecution exhaust itself with its poorly constructed case against the judge. "Hey", it's an entertaining movie if you have the time and mindset to watch it carefully. It's not a 'disappointer' at all! (And you don't have to be 60 years or older to appreciate the contradictions presented between impatient youth and crafty and forbearing senior adults in the movie.)
I Know You're Not Supposed To..
Mehki_Girl31 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
.. rate a movie you didn't watch, but I've been watching some real stinkers. Mostly indie horror films and decided I needed to watch some real actors in a real movie with real production values. The first first seconds, as the camera pans into the bedroom, I see great production values, great set, and think, yeah! This is it!
Uh-uh, another five seconds and I think, Oh crap, this stinks. How? How, can you put all these great actors in a movie and make it suck???
Next to Harrison Ford, it's like they found some "actors" from a third rate school play. I'm sorry, but Bill Pullman simply doesn't have the gravitas to play this part. He stunk to high heaven.
Was it the screen writer? The director? Bill Pullman's lousy acting? The lousy script? The lousy lines they had to say? The comparison with Presumed Innocent?
I am going to finish this movie and if my opinion changes, I'll change this review. But me and one other reviewer both came to the same conclusion within 5 seconds.
This has the quality of a Lifetime Movie.
Halfway through, not changing my opinion.
Made it to the end. Nothing happened. It was boring. Bad acting. Setup point to making this movie. Do not waste your time.
Uh-uh, another five seconds and I think, Oh crap, this stinks. How? How, can you put all these great actors in a movie and make it suck???
Next to Harrison Ford, it's like they found some "actors" from a third rate school play. I'm sorry, but Bill Pullman simply doesn't have the gravitas to play this part. He stunk to high heaven.
Was it the screen writer? The director? Bill Pullman's lousy acting? The lousy script? The lousy lines they had to say? The comparison with Presumed Innocent?
I am going to finish this movie and if my opinion changes, I'll change this review. But me and one other reviewer both came to the same conclusion within 5 seconds.
This has the quality of a Lifetime Movie.
Halfway through, not changing my opinion.
Made it to the end. Nothing happened. It was boring. Bad acting. Setup point to making this movie. Do not waste your time.
Poor.........
kingcantonano716 January 2013
After watching this film for only five minutes it dawned on me, where have I heard this music score before? Then, after about another forty minutes I thought, this story seems familiar........And then it hit me, I'm watching a near perfect copy of the Harrison Ford film 'Presumed Innocent'.
Apart from a slightly different ending (and it is only slight) this story/film is a rip off of the Harrison Ford classic. The only difference is, is that 'Innocent' has terrible acting compared to the higher standard in 'Presumed Innocent'. If you want a good thriller/whodunit forget this film and watch 'Presumed Innocent' instead!
I'm giving it a score of 2 out of 10 just for the fact I like the music!
Apart from a slightly different ending (and it is only slight) this story/film is a rip off of the Harrison Ford classic. The only difference is, is that 'Innocent' has terrible acting compared to the higher standard in 'Presumed Innocent'. If you want a good thriller/whodunit forget this film and watch 'Presumed Innocent' instead!
I'm giving it a score of 2 out of 10 just for the fact I like the music!
Average TV Movie
akcenat11 April 2020
This is uninspiring legal drama and the kind of film where the behavior of the characters only adds up in the sense that it serves the script, not in a way that resembles real life. It feels like a rushed job with rather crude characterization, while Bill Pullman looks bored and some of the actors like lost in translation (especially T. Penikett, C.L. Haggquist, N. Oliver). You will like it only if you are close to the age of 60 or above. "Old" ideas, "old" execution and VHS type of movie.
Rating: 5+/6-
Rating: 5+/6-
What a RIDICULOUS Movie!!!
zszubairie17 October 2023
I can't believe a lawyer - and a Harvard graduate, no less! - wrote this story. It is so full of holes, ridiculous at best, utterly stupid at worst. Appellate judges setting bail?!! Not recusing themselves, even though they had once prosecuted the same defendant's case before?! Prosecutors acting like the police, investigating a case that even the police has not charged nor even found a reason to charge?! Making up a murder charge when there is absolutely no reason to even suspect any foul play?! The list just goes on and on. The whole plot is unbelievable, and the acting - especially by the.assistant prosecutor - is so bad. Talk about a complete waste of.an hour and a half... :(
Really good
safrch30 May 2023
The movie is a bit underrated. Bill Pullman is as excellent as always, what a fine actor.
The movie is engaging and engrossing. A pure thriller, suspense, and mystery. There was not a dull moment in the whole story.
Totally Worth your time, the movie has a surprise ending. Apart from a crime story this also has a love story, love sees no age.
Love is portrayed beautifully in this movie, love between old and young. The relationship between the family is tested.
Overall a very good movie, however, it seems to be underrated here.
Totally worth your time, the movie has a suprise ending. Apart from a crime story this also has a love story, love sees no age.
Love is potrayed beautifully in this movie , love between old and young. Realtionship between the family is tested.
Overall a very good movie,
The movie is engaging and engrossing. A pure thriller, suspense, and mystery. There was not a dull moment in the whole story.
Totally Worth your time, the movie has a surprise ending. Apart from a crime story this also has a love story, love sees no age.
Love is portrayed beautifully in this movie, love between old and young. The relationship between the family is tested.
Overall a very good movie, however, it seems to be underrated here.
Totally worth your time, the movie has a suprise ending. Apart from a crime story this also has a love story, love sees no age.
Love is potrayed beautifully in this movie , love between old and young. Realtionship between the family is tested.
Overall a very good movie,
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