Présumé innocent

From Scott Turow's successful novel came this tense drama about a man accused of the rape and murder of a legal colleague with whom he had previously had an affair.

Alan J. Pakula's direction, along with strong performances by Harrison Ford, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia, Brian Dennehy and all the other supporting cast, contribute strongly to a film that keeps you guessing until the very end; which by the way, will shock the sox off ya.

This is a thriller that never gets out of hand, or goes over the top. All credit to Alan J. Pakula and Frank Pierson's adaptation. Great down to earth stuff.

Sunday, June 16, 1991 - Video

Presumed Innocent is directed by Alan J. Pakula, who also co-adapts for the screen with Frank Pierson from the Scott Turow novel. It stars Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Bonnie Bedelia, Raúl Juliá, Paul Winfield, John Spencer and Greta Scacchi. Music is scored by John Williams and Richard Wolf, and cinematography is by Gordon Willis.

Prosecuting attorney Rusty Sabich (Ford) suddenly finds himself a murder suspect after his one time lover, Carolyn Polhemus (Scacchi), is found raped and murdered in her home. As the evidence piles up against him, and his marriage comes under further strain, Rusty hires top lawyer Sandy Stern (Juliá) to represent him when the case goes to trial. Battling the system that he knows inside out, Rusty finds that there's a big can of worms about to be opened.

A tip top court room mystery drama that we could do with seeing more of these days. Expertly strung together by the director of All the Presidents Men and Sophie's Choice, Presumed Innocent isn't just a by the numbers legal who done it? The makers get in deep with the political machinations of a district attorney's office, the intricate steps of a police investigation, and of course the legal eagle operations of a court room. In to the mix is an horrendous crime, of which a lawyer himself is charged with committing, he may or may not be guilty of the crime, but wonderfully we are never sure until the astonishing finale plays out. The air of mystery hangs heavy throughout, nagging away like an itch you can't scratch, with Pakula neatly unfolding the drama in a collage of flashbacks, side-plots and present time intricacies. Mood is heightened by the photography of Gordon Willis, who along with Pakula's looming camera work, manages to convey a claustrophobic feel in keeping with an unstable marriage and a court room itself.

A great cast is assembled for the picture. Ford expertly plays it low key, brooding intently, he makes us unsure as to his guilt or innocence, and that's a testament to how good his performance is. Bedelia is excellent as the stoic wife, holding it together as the marital cracks begin to appear, and Juliá dominates the second half of the picture as we shift to the court room. Dennehy does a nice line in morally compromised smarm, and Scacchi wonderfully exudes a femme fatale sexuality. Winfield is a mighty presence as the judge presiding over such a tricky case, and Spencer is as reliable as ever. Only disappointments come with the performances of Joe Grifasi and Tom Mardirosian, who as the prosecutors come across as wimpy and hardly brick tight lawyers trying a high profile murder case.

An intense and intellectual adult drama, Presumed Innocent is one of the best of its type from the modern era. 8.5/10

Harrison Ford plays a district attourney who is still obsessed with a co-worker with whom he had an affair, which she broke off. She then is found murdered, and all the evidence points back at Ford. We don't want to think he committed this brutal murder, but do we know for sure?

There is a strong moral to this film, which should be obvious to anyone watching. Sometimes our actions have consequences that we never would have believed or intended, but does that make us any less guilty?

If you liked this film, you might want to watch Tightrope.

Since it's Harrison Ford on trial for the murder of his coworker/mistress, and most everyone loves Harrison Ford, you want to believe he's innocent. But that belief is never a sure thing in "Presumed Innocent": a gripping, suspenseful whodunit that keeps you guessing mercilessly. All the leads here are right on target, especially Ford as the mumbling, elusive murder defendant. Most importantly, all the main players are ambiguous in one way or another, and while I certainly will not give away the ending (which is a beauty, I promise you) keep that in mind as you watch. Can you trust anyone??

The final scene was shocking and thought-provoking. And I couldn't help but think of the title, "Presumed Innocent." Naturally.

I don't know that I've ever seen a "perfect" depiction in a movie as far as how things really work in police investigations and in the courtroom.

Sometimes there are errors so blatant and ridiculous that it ruins the film. But with Presumed Innocent, I was able to quickly overlook things I felt were maybe questionable, because the plot and twists and acting were engaging enough to overcome these minor shortcomings.

Overall, this was an engrossing film which kept me engaged for the entire two hours, and I would recommend it.