En toute justice

A funny, insightful script that is treated a bit too lightly by the principals. No one looks like they're taking the story seriously except John Hurt, whose performance towers above everyone else's (it's too bad he only occupies the screen for 20 or so minutes). There are the odd moments of idiocy, and the entire effect is like an above average episode of a television law drama.

My favorite scene is where Judd Nelson crouches behind a table full of classic literature, tossing out books at the judge. Sometimes, Nelson doesn't quite know what his character is doing, but he manages to entertain and keep the focus on him.

But the first half of the movie is farce and the second half (Hurt's story) is serious drama. At one point this is signaled by Dan Monahan, who says, "This isn't fun anymore." There are some good gags throughout and the drama could hold its own if the first part of the movie weren't so long. It could have been shortened considerably to make the John Hurt story longer and more effective. I enjoyed watching this movie and would recommend it to anyone who likes television law type shows.

Robin "Stormy" Weathers is desperate to rise up the ladder at the law firm he is employed by - sooner rather than later! Manufacturing a series of events, Weathers crow bars his way into a position of prestige. But just as he thinks he has finally made it, the partners saddle him with a no-win trial...

Directed by Bob Clark and starring Judd Nelson (Weathers), Elizabeth Perkins, John Hurt and Darren McGavin, From The Hip is a quintessentially 1980s picture. Oozing a yuppie law firm vibe and with Brat Packer Nelson leading the way, it's no great shock to proclaim it as such really. That's not to say it deserves to stay back in that decade though, for although it hasn't aged well in context to our evolving societies, and as implausible as "Stormy's" legal shenanigans are, the piece serves up a nice blend of satire and legal ethic conundrums.

It's also decidedly funny, that is until John Hurt arrives as a pompous suspected murderer and not only steals the film, but also swerves it to a far darker place. Perhaps it's a blend too far since the film is poorly rated by many? Maybe Hurt's preening, borderline psychotic peacock performance only serves to bring to light the deficiencies of the other cast members? What I do know is that my recent revisit to the film still brought many a chuckle as "Stormy" pulls his bag of tricks in the court room, and yes I was still on the edge of my seat during the gripping finale as Hurt's Douglas Benoit is called to the witness box. . 7/10

Don't listen to the negative reviews or nay sayers. Decide for yourself the way we did. Judd Nelson is terrific in this entertaining movie. There should've have been a sequel but unfortunately just like many other terrific movies the studio didn't market this movie AT ALL. From opening to the end you're interested in the story and colorful well written characters. Trust me -- it's a truly entertaining movie in the tradition of all of the other brat pack movies. The script is clever and the pacing swift. The movie keeps you involved and the actors never miss a beat. Nelson and Perkins have chemistry and let's hope they do another movie some day.

Quite simply I love this movie, not because I have an affinity to any of the actors but simply because it's a very easy way to pass a couple of hours.

For movie which attempts to broach one of the legal systems greatest dilemmas (how to defend the guilty) the screenwriters and director somehow manage to deal with the issue seriously yet without allowing the movie to become heavy and dry.

You will laugh as there are many genuinely funny scenes and yet you will also appreciate the very real and serious ethical dilemma "stormy" finds himself in.

John Hurt does steal the show somewhat with a performance that is nothing short of chilling, but the movie is not just about John and the supporting cast are pretty good as well. Criticism of Judd Nelson for this role is certainly unwarranted.

If you want a nice easy watch, which you can chose to just enjoy or to actually have a proper think about then this is a very good place to start.

Do yourself a favour find the movie in a bargain bin, watch it and wonder why you never bothered to see it before

There's something good about this one. Sure, it's dated, some of the jokes don't land, it's very unrealistic and the acting and technical qualities are all over the place, but it remains entertaining for nearly the entire runtime. Judd Nelson is sorta flat, but him and his lawyer friends (Dan Monahan and David Alan Grier) are still fun to watch. There's some great character acting (by Darren McGavin, Edward Winter, Nancy Marchand, Ray Walston, Alan Arbuand) and the story keeps stringing you along while time flies. This might not be the most deep film you ever see, but it is oddly charming.

The story, about a young junior lawyer pulling antics to quickly rise the ranks, is filled with preposterous courtroom scenes that somehow, through humor, make you forget how stupid the proceedings are. Swinging a hammer around and arguing about using curse words during a deposition are just good bits. The third act takes a serious turn, the movie suffering for it, and there are some weird things that don't add up by the end (what was Judd's obsession with those comic characters about? Why is his friend having girl troubles?) but overall it's a decent lazy afternoon movie.

"Bzzzzzzzzzzt"