Legalese

Better than most of the latter-day Rockford Files, James Garner, as a famous attorney, shares the good work and screen time with other cast members in this story of a high-profile murder defense. From the outset, something smells fishy. Numerous twists and neat touches maintain interest from start to finish and make this an enjoyable, not-too-serious story. As other team attornies, Mary-Louise Parker and Edward Kerr (the real central figure) provide the intertwined (in more ways than one) secondary romantic thread. Gina Gershon is the glamorous accused model, while Kathleen Turner plays an aggressive TV reporter with her own tabloid show, "Scandals Unlimited." See if you can identify Brian Doyle Murray in several brief scenes.

In sum, worth another viewing.

Angela Beale a famous actress is charged with murdering her violent husband . The problem with this premise is that the very first scene sees Angela acting all strange as she bangs on doors telling everyone she killed her husband , though maybe that's not accurate . Maybe I should be saying the actress playing Angela - Gina Gershon - gives a masterclass in how to mug and over act for the camera in order for the audience to know that maybe she didn't kill her husband in self defence

That's the problem with LEGALSESE it's ridiculously overplayed , so much so that you have to turn off the sound and avoid looking at the screen to stop the performances assaulting your senses . Bob Hoskins said that the camera can read your mind and it's true so why didn't the cast in this movie realise this ?

I notice that the screen credits say Glenn Jordan was the director while Billy Ray wrote the script but since TNT was the TV company that produced this I have the feeling LEGALSESE was the brain child of Ted Turner . The villain of the story is Norman Keane . Is he a surrogate Rupert Murdoch by any chance ? No doubt this TVM is trying to be satirical but for satire to work via a narrative story subtlety is needed and there's no subtlety in sight - Only very loud acting

In the made for television film Legalese you will find for the only time in his career James Garner playing a villain. His Norman Keane is who they had in mind when they make all the lawyer jokes.

Not that he isn't good. He's worth every penny of what a client, especially a guilty one can pay him. Garner's good although in this film he does his best lawyering without setting foot in the courtroom.

Gina Gershon plays this sexpot actress who shoots and kills her brother- in-law with whom she's been having a torrid affair. When she's arrested Gershon claims that she did it to protect her sister from a violent and brutal husband. But can she make this stick?

In the meantime Gershon goes to Garner the lawyer to the stars. But as Garner sees the problem, he's just come off a controversial OJ Simpson like case where he got off a client most people thought was guilty as sin. Point being that the public that makes up the jury pool might just take it out on his next client.

What to do? What Garner decides to do is put in a ringer, an idealistic fresh faced young attorney, someone like Matt Damon in The Rainmaker with Garner coaching from the sidelines. He even gives his stooge, Edward Kerr, an earpiece transmitter so he can put the words right in his mouth.

Just how manipulative Garner is the audience has no idea, but the full scope of it will be revealed by the end of the film.

If Legalese has a weakness it's in Kerr. Not that the man didn't do a good job, he did as good a job as he could with a character I can't believe was all that naive. Both he and Mary Louise Parker from Garner's office really get hung out to dry when show business reporter Kathleen Turner breaks into Garner's office and films them doing the horizontal mambo. Turner has a juicy role she makes the most of.

But the film belongs to Garner. He was nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor in a TV movie and too bad he didn't win it. Kudos should also go to Gina Gershon, this is not a lady to cross.

Legalese is why they make lawyer jokes, but when you need one Garner's the guy to get.

I had never heard of this film before watching it and from its description and out-of-the-way billing was not expecting much. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This story of a lawyer straight out of law-school being handed the highest profile case in America being guided behind the scene by a big-hitting celebrity lawyer is no classic and will never be remembered in any poll but is solid entertainment. It turns out to be cleverer than it appears and cons well. It also comments on the role of the media in high profile cases and the way the practice of law uses and abuses this role. This film entertains and is well worth looking at.

This has great elements of suspense, drama, law, sex and comedy and some great actors in Garner and Gershon. The others make it a great cast and a great movie that you'll remember. It's just a great one.