L'affaire Chelsea Deardon

Full of plot holes and expensive excesses, LEGAL EAGLES wouldn't be much without the genuine star power it receives from it's first class cast.

Redford is very charming as the assistant D.A. whose becomes involved with defense lawyer Winger (terrific as always) to solve a case that includes arson, stolen paintings, insurance fraud, and even murder.

The chemistry between Redford and Winger is very much like Spencer and Tracy and is very enjoyable to watch. However, Daryl Hannah steals the show as the slightly off center performance artist who is in the middle of the complex case.

The film's story will not hold up under much thought and the many shots of buildings on fire will only appeal to pyros. Still, this film is fun entertainment and is a must-see if you are a fan of one of the three stars.

I'd rate this a good 6 out of 10.

I really do love Legal Eagles, it's a film that hearkens back to the stuff that William Powell and Myrna Loy did at MGM. I can see a younger Tracy and Hepburn in this film as well.

Robert Redford is the Jack McCoy of the New York County District Attorney's office and wouldn't you know it, Steven Hill plays the New York County DA here. Hill's thinking of hanging it up, but obviously as fans of Law and Order know, he eventually didn't. He's thinking of promoting Redford as his candidate to succeed him come the next election.

But for budding politico Redford, his life gets real complicated when defense attorney Debra Winger and her client Darryl Hannah enter his life. Hannah is the daughter of a famed artist who was killed in a loft fire where she barely escaped from when she was about 6. Since then she's become something of a wild child.

Hannah steals a picture from art dealer Terrence Stamp that she says is really hers. That starts a chain of events in which she's eventually accused of Stamp's murder. That same night Hannah decides she needs a little tender loving care and who better than the assistant district attorney to give it. The police bust her when she and Redford are in flagrato.

After that Redford decides to see how the other half lives working with Debra Winger on Hannah's defense.

What I liked about Legal Eagles is that it glided nicely from comedy to drama with little effort. The climax at Terrence Stamp's gallery was very well staged and Redford is being a most heroic lawyer.

Also in the cast are Roscoe Lee Browne as the judge at Hannah's trial and Brian Dennehy as a most interesting investigator. It's one of Robert Redford's best films and it's got style and substance.

With Redford, style is a given.

You don't get actors like Redford and Winger anymore. The subtleties in their facial expressions, the humanness of their characters are evident in each move they make and each action. In a sense, there is no 'acting', since the storyline, the characters and the flow reach a natural confluence. The only character that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable is Daryl Hannah's Chelsea - the performance artist. Brian Dennehy is also a little underutilised, but the movie is really a swinger for both Winger and Redford who make their attraction and talent as attorneys believable.

I've seen this movie about 5 times over the years and I never get sick of it. Though I know the plot, each time I find myself watching the actors rather than predicting the storyline. Its just great and really, so easy to watch and enjoy. There is humour, old fashioned romance, good IL' bad guys vs good guys, a bit of blood and gore and a lot of fine art thrown in. I highly recommend it!

It's far from perfect but 'Legal Eagles' is quite nostalgic and entertaining. The story is very contrived especially with so many plot holes and the characters aren't fully fleshed out either but it has a very noire style approach and does keep you in suspense. The humour also works quite well. On the technical side it's a decently made film, nothing too flashy which is good. I also liked the presentation of the art world.

No matter what one says about 'Legal Eagles', for me the highlight is easily Robert Redford and a very cute Debra Winger. Both actors are spellbinding, delivering subtle and charming performances. As performers, they just look so comfortable with each other. Their chemistry is amazing and their scenes, especially their on-screen banter, are a delight to watch.

Daryl Hannah's role is sketchy but she looks sizzling and I enjoyed her sequences with Redford and the scene where she demonstrates her art. Brian Dennehy is wasted. Terence Stamp is adequate.

So yes, it's got its flaws but how can you not enjoy it for Redford and Winger?

As rival attorneys in New York City, Robert Redford and Debra Winger aren't exactly Tracy and Hepburn (he's too wishy-washy and callow, she's too flighty), but they do get to loosen up a bit from prior roles, creating an amusing give-and-take relationship while defending performance artist Daryl Hannah on murder charges. Plot is so haphazardly constructed that it was re-worked for the TV version and still nobody could figure it out. Redford and Winger get out of a bomb-laden warehouse just in the nick of time, but how they do it will have smart viewers crying foul. There are other problems, not to mention a strange, off-putting show put on by Hannah where she appears to go up in flames, but the charisma of the players is just enough to carry this heavy vehicle to a happy conclusion. The outtakes at the finale are charming, as is Rod Stewart's song "Love Touch". **1/2 from ****