Présumé innocent

This film is just another courtroom drama, where a prosecutor, a fairly ordinary and straightforward fellow, is accused of the brutal death of a colleague with whom, after all, he had had an affair.

The plot starts in a cold way and takes a while to catch our attention, there is really nothing that holds us and the film looks like it is going to suck. But after we enter the courtroom things really start to get interesting. We followed all the lawyers' arguments and the dialogue with the judge, the pace becomes more pleasant and faster and the twists and turns are taking place, endangering the life of that man who, after all, just wished that his wife had not heard of that stab in the marriage.

Harrison Ford is very good when he has to give life to ordinary men but to whom things happen. It is on him that much of the burden of the film falls, depending on his good performance. Beside him, we have a good and discreet Bonnie Bedelia and a sensual Greta Scacchi, with whom the actor gets good sexual chemistry. Raul Julia shone as a lawyer and Paul Winfield also does not do badly in the role of the judge.

Not being a very technical film, it is based mostly on the story it tells, and on the excellent performance of the actors. It may not be one of the court films that has aged better, as it is truly forgotten these days, but it deserves to be seen and appreciated for what it is.

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

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.

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

This is a very good film centering around a murder investigation and trial involving a chief deputy DA and a beautiful, young attorney in his office who is found murdered one morning. The direction, screenplay, and acting are all top notch and you never really know how it's going to turn out til the very end.

Harrison Ford is the deputy DA accused of murdering one of the female attorneys in his office. Ford's character is that of a strident upholder of the law who strays into marital infidelity. Caroline Polhemus, played by Greta Scacchi, is beautiful and manipulative, using her sexuality to get what she wants, career advancement and power.

Ford is assigned to head the murder investigation team, however, his boss, played by Brian Dennehy, loses his re-election bid a few weeks later and the new district attorney charges Ford with Caroline's murder. He knows Ford had had an affair with the victim and has physical evidence that he was at the murder scene and had been placing phone calls to her apartment in the days prior to her death.

The continuing investigation by Harrison Ford's team of lawyers and his friends in the DA's office and the trial highlight the remainder of this film. Events take strange twists and turns and the viewer is taken along for the ride without really knowing where it will take him. The ending is a bit of a surprise and neatly ties everything together.

The direction by Alan J. Pakula is tight and suspenseful. I thought it was his best film since the early days when he directed "Klute" and "The Parallax View" - certainly better than the muddled "Pelican Brief." The overriding theme of the movie is darkness, people hiding secrets from one another, and the direction emphasizes that. There are very few outdoor daytime scenes and most of the interior shots are of dark rooms and corridors.

Harrison Ford is good in the role of the besieged deputy DA, but I thought the secondary actors were the ones who made this picture as good as it was. Raul Julia plays Ford's attorney defending him in court and he's excellent (I thought it was his best role in any film). He's urbane and confident, and he steers the defense through a very difficult set of circumstances.

Bonnie Bedelia plays Ford's wife and her character is much more complex than that of the supportive wife standing by her man. She also has dark secrets of her own and she plays the part with sly understatement. John Spencer ("L.A. Law") plays an investigator in the DA's office helping Ford, Brian Dennehy plays Ford's boss who turns on him, and Paul Winfield plays the judge handling the trial, and all are excellent.

My only criticisms would come from Harrison Ford's character, who is so emotionally detached that it makes the circumstances of the affair with Greta Scacchi unbelievable. He's not an easy person to identify with or feel sympathy for, but the film is so well done that you can easily skip over that void and just sit back and enjoy the performances.