When Justice Fails

Check out the incredible Title Sequence. Marlee Maitlin does her best role since Children of a lesser God. If you haven't see this movie yet, RENT IT.

Jeff Fahey leads a brilliant cast, including Montreal native Carl Morotte.

I saw this film on TV & I sure am glad I didn't pay to see it (okay..so the cable if you're being technical). The writing was stupid. Throughout the film I was utterly confused because they never explained anything or brought up random facts that's suppose to "help" us figure out the mystery. Some parts of the plot we're unnecessary and had nothing to do with the story.

I thought Marlee did a fantastic job for the crap she was given. The whole movie was just weird, and I just kept watching because of her. Honestly, don't watch this unless you are a Marlee fan or Jeff Fahey fan.

When Justice Fails is about a couple of cops that track down a kinky murderer. The movie runs pretty smoothly from start to finish and has some good acting. Maitlin plays a troubled prosecutor that cop Fahey falls for. No reason to question that, she's great. Some high profile murders keep the cops running. Fahey's tough guy gay partner is a character unto himself in this film, a mild Dirty Harry type in the NYPD Blue kind of setting, but a good guy. Some good twists and turns as the cops suspect everyone in the film of being the murderer. Finally, Fahey figures out who it is and that brings us to the end of the film. If you want fast paced action, go somewhere else. If you want an OK crime drama, this is a good one.

It's hard for anyone, even Jeff Fahey, to carry an unskilled amateur like Marlee Matlin through a film. He tries, to his credit. Matlin is essentially a character actress who can (what a surprise) manage a "handicapped" character, but her essentially zero range and inability to hold anyone's attention should keep her out of major roles like this one. This is about the third movie she's ruined, and I for one am getting tired of it. Soon she'll b e like Ed Asner -- an early warning to "skip this film."

This one isn't awful, but it isn't worth watching unless there's absolutely nothing on anywhere else.

I'm not sure that anyone could be charitable enough to say that this is a great movie. The writing is fairly trite, and any high-schooler with a C average could see the "twists" coming a mile away. But to fault Marlee Matlin for it (and I do realize that was done some time ago), and in such insulting terms? Unnecessary.

First, character actors do important work, so attempting to slander one by using the term is pointless. A low number of leading roles does not necessarily indicate a lack of success. Also, categorizing her as an amateur? An Academy Award for her first movie role ever (in 1986), then a number of years in standout *character* roles to a great deal of critical acclaim (ever heard of The West Wing?) - that certainly doesn't add up to a rookie career.

What was most insulting, though, was the "what a surprise" comment. Why focus on an actor's disability just because you don't care for them? Admittedly, Marlee Matlin would be unable to play a character without a disability - there's no way to hide deafness, or an inability to speak without a deaf "accent." But she is eloquent, expressive, and impossible to ignore in most any part. Uninformed, prejudiced comments can't take that away from her.