About halfway through the movie, if not sooner, I knew John Mahoney's character was the killer. How? Because apparently the director told him to shift his eyes back and forth in every scene he was in. My god, Stevie Wonder probably knew he was guilty!
The rest of the movie is a mess, but I'll concentrate on the latter scenes. Cher's character goes to Mahoney's house to tell him something's up, she needs more time. She ends up pissing him off -- he warns her she's out of line. He then TURNS AWAY FROM HER and wanders back to his party, leaving Cher at the door. He never makes sure she's escorted out or leaves on her own. She just does -- AFTER he's turned away from her. Yeah, that's realistic! Not.
The worst part is when Cher goes back to where the cops have impounded the car, and of course it's still there, weeks later. She breaks in, checks the usual places -- the glove compartment, behind the sun visor, but finds nothing.
She sits there frustrated for maybe 30 seconds, then looks down at the car's radio/cassette tape player. AHA! She pulls a cassette tape out of the player and takes it with her. When she gets home and plays it -- we hear the Supreme Court Judges confession!
Now is that in any way CREDIBLE that the POLICE would've missed checking out that tape -- that they would've just LEFT IT THERE? Come on!
The ending is so ridiculous, so contrived, and SO CLICHE with Cher being chased by her killer through a JAIL (why she went there, is beyond crazy), all the while being lit perfectly whenever she stops to look back to see who's chasing her.
After hearing the tape, she gets back in court, and calls the Mahoney, the presiding judge, as her final witness. Other reviewers have called this a 'surprise' ending. I'd suggest the only surprise is the little detail where he when he lifts his gavel, his wrist is bleeding (because she cut him in the jail the night before). The fact that the director thought something so implausible would happen is what's surprising. It was just absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary.
Having said that, I'm going with three stars for Cher's and Neeson's performances. They did the best they could considering the laughable script and poor direction.
Okay, I'll shut up. :)
The rest of the movie is a mess, but I'll concentrate on the latter scenes. Cher's character goes to Mahoney's house to tell him something's up, she needs more time. She ends up pissing him off -- he warns her she's out of line. He then TURNS AWAY FROM HER and wanders back to his party, leaving Cher at the door. He never makes sure she's escorted out or leaves on her own. She just does -- AFTER he's turned away from her. Yeah, that's realistic! Not.
The worst part is when Cher goes back to where the cops have impounded the car, and of course it's still there, weeks later. She breaks in, checks the usual places -- the glove compartment, behind the sun visor, but finds nothing.
She sits there frustrated for maybe 30 seconds, then looks down at the car's radio/cassette tape player. AHA! She pulls a cassette tape out of the player and takes it with her. When she gets home and plays it -- we hear the Supreme Court Judges confession!
Now is that in any way CREDIBLE that the POLICE would've missed checking out that tape -- that they would've just LEFT IT THERE? Come on!
The ending is so ridiculous, so contrived, and SO CLICHE with Cher being chased by her killer through a JAIL (why she went there, is beyond crazy), all the while being lit perfectly whenever she stops to look back to see who's chasing her.
After hearing the tape, she gets back in court, and calls the Mahoney, the presiding judge, as her final witness. Other reviewers have called this a 'surprise' ending. I'd suggest the only surprise is the little detail where he when he lifts his gavel, his wrist is bleeding (because she cut him in the jail the night before). The fact that the director thought something so implausible would happen is what's surprising. It was just absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary.
Having said that, I'm going with three stars for Cher's and Neeson's performances. They did the best they could considering the laughable script and poor direction.
Okay, I'll shut up. :)