High Crimes

Tags

2000's, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Ashley Judd, Bruce Davison, Carl Franklin, High Crimes, Jim Caviezel, Juan Carlos Hernandez, Legal Thriller, Morgan Freeman, Thriller

Film Title

High Crimes

Director

Carl Franklin

Starring

• Ashley Judd as Claire Kubick
• Morgan Freeman as Charlie Grimes
• Jim Caviezel as Tom Kubick/Ronald Chapman
• Adam Scott as First Lieutenant Terence Embry
• Amanda Peet as Jackie
• Juan Carlos Hernandez as Major James Hernandez
• Bruce Davison as Brigadier General Bill Marks

A legal thriller that was somewhat underrated and written off upon release, High Crimes is actually an efficiently made movie. It ain’t going to win any Oscars for originality or fresh ideas, but it more than does the job of being a gripping thriller nonetheless.

Claire Kubick is a successful attorney in a loving marriage with her woodworker husband Tom. The great life they live together in California is shattered when Tom is captured by the FBI while the two are out Christmas shopping and charged with the murder of nine peasants in an El Salvador village years before. It transpires that Tom is not who he says he is; his real name is Ronald Chapman and he was part of a secret Marine Corps operation. He has been on the run for over twelve years and is now being accused of the savage murders. Claire is shocked by the revelation that her husband has hidden from her, but because she loves him so much deals with the emotions that come her way by suppressing them. Her husband tells her that he was present in El Salvador, but strongly denies any involvement. He says that he has been set up for the crimes by his Major James Hernandez, who is now working highly with a brigadier general. Trusting her husband and wanting to help, Claire decides to defend her husband during the military trial, as the man appointed to represent him , First Lieutenant Terence Embry, is impressionable and new on the job. Yet when the trial begins, Claire realises that none of the rules that she usually abides to and works with apply in a military court. She then seeks out someone who knows their way around the court and comes across Charlie Grimes; a former military lawyer who is now retired and prone to drinking a lot. The tenacious Claire manages to get Charlie on side and help her husband in the trial; Charlie displays an aptitude for not playing by the rules and cutting through lies given by supposed witnesses. Yet twists and turns abound as evidence of a possible military cover up come to Claire’s knowledge and as she edges towards answers, risks her life in the process. Aided by the brilliant but not by the book Charlie, Claire is determined to get to the bottom of this no matter what happens. But is everything as it seems or very different to what meets the eye?

Carl Franklin’s direction of High Crimes is crisp and very well done. It’s not the best directing I’ve ever seen, but it does the job with a sense of urgency and commitment to the material in hand. Tossing in red herrings throughout the movie, Franklin knows how to keep a thriller entertaining and engaging. Granted some of the twists are a bit drawn out and overly complex, High Crimes manages to retain interest due to some sharp writing and thrills. I’ve read some reviews of High Crimes that say it becomes incomprehensible and predictable throughout. I wouldn’t agree with the first part because the film is supposed to be shrouded in mystery and wrong foot the audience occasionally. A few parts of High Crimes are predictable, but its a hell of a lot better than some of the other thrillers to be found out there due to the way it keeps you on edge trying to distinguish the truth. Some of the courtroom scenes are very well-played with lies spilling out and questions going back and forth creating a lot of tension. A technique that was utilized excellently was the presence of flashbacks from differing points of view, designed to spin a web of doubt and accountability. It’s only employed in a few scenes during the film, but it is effectively used and not overly relied upon. The musical score is a little generic in parts, but a competent enough one to go with the tense material on display here.

Ashley Judd turns in a typically strong performance as the determined Claire, who stifles her shock to defend her husband and unearth the possible cover up of events. Judd makes the character tenacious, unwavering and natural as she navigates through dangerous waters. She shares a great chemistry with Morgan Freeman, as both worked well together in Kiss the Girls. Morgan Freeman displays a dry sense of humour and serious undertones as the rebellious Charlie, who loves anything to get one up on the military and can run rings around them with his silver-tongued responses. With a glint in his eye and a sense of morality, despite his unorthodox ways of getting information, the character of Charlie is brought to life by the talents of Morgan Freeman. Jim Caviezel displays a sensitivity but an enigmatic presence as the man on trial, its credit to him that we are constantly on a seesaw about whether he is lying or telling the truth. Adam Scott impresses as the green lieutenant assigned to defend the man on trial and has some amusing moments due to the character’s lack of experience and sometimes naive tendencies. The same can be said of Amanda Peet who is delightfully irresponsible as Claire’s slobby sister who comes to stay and delights in being outrageous. Juan Carlos Hernandez, armed with a sinister smile and battle-ruined eye, is well cast as the menacing Major who may have been the perpetrator of the massacre in El Salvador. There is a small appearance from Bruce Davison as a smarmy brigadier, but I would have liked to have seen more of his character if I’m honest.

It doesn’t break any new ground and may get a little convoluted, but for a slick and entertaining thriller, High Crimes more than does the job.

Beyoncé – Lemonade Review

Tags

Beyoncé, Lemonade

Music is my second passion after movies that is. And while I’ve done music posts in the pasts, I’ve never actually reviewed an album before. With the surprise release of Beyoncé’s Lemonade the other week and the Internet going into overdrive about it, I though it would be a good time to do a review of it, especially considering the fact that the album comes with a one hour film that cuts together music videos for each song on a journey like format. I don’t know how this review will turn out because I’ve never done a music review before, so here goes nothing.

It is no secret that I’m a big fan of Beyoncé; having seen her in concert and followed her career since I can remember. But nothing could have prepared me for Lemonade, which is in my book her best album to date. A personal, deeply felt odyssey of marital disharmony(that everyone is having a field day about because it’s been alleged that Jay-Z has been unfaithful in the past to his wife) and the gradual rebirth of a woman rekindling her love after a difficult time, Lemonade explodes with unbridled emotions and power. We may never know if there is any truth that the album is about her own relationship with her husband, but if the results are anything like this, I think tongues will always be wagging. But to merely speculate about it is to do discredit to the album, as it explores other territories like gender and race and is her most experimental album to date. And with the visuals to add to it, Lemonade becomes an all round knockout experience.

From the opening notes of ‘Pray You Catch Me’, you can tell that Beyoncé is crafting something memorable. The pain reflected in her voice is palpable and almost a whisper in the beginning, as layered vocals swirl around an ominously soulful backdrop and we feel her suspicion that something is wrong in her marital union. Following up is ‘Hold Up’, whose bouncy reggae flavoured beat belies an anger and resentment towards the hurt she is feeling. The juxtaposition of seemingly breezy fare and embittered vocals makes for an intriguing pastiche as we now know that Beyoncé is not a woman to be trifled. If ‘Hold Up’ was a warm up for how angry she is, ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’, a collaboration with Jack White that edges into slashing rock territory, more or less confirms it. Beyoncé uses her voice with a raw and gritty intent here, growling over a drum heavy backdrop with the ferocity of a lion. This song is probably one of my favourites from the album because of the experimental tone and the way it shows her in a totally different light from what many of us are used to seeing.

Apathy and a desire to have a good time set in during ‘Sorry’, that explores feminine power and assertion with an attitude and swagger, very becoming of Beyoncé who now wants to rid herself of pain and have a good time. This then applies to the darker sounding tale of ladies making money for a living in ‘6 Inch’, a collaboration with The Weekend. Over a moody bass line, Beyoncé makes a stand for hard-working ladies that will resonate with every woman out there.

Beyoncé is now fully adept at throwing curve balls and this album more or less confirms that she isn’t going to be saddled to just one genre, but is more than willing to branch outside her comfort zone for artistic expression. ‘Daddy’s Lessons'( a very good example of the curve ball) took me by surprise with its country vibe and southern horn section. It works very well which is something I didn’t expect, but Beyoncé’s unparalleled urgency, soul and talent add another genre twist to her growing list of ventures on this album.

With ‘Love Drought’, we hear her now becoming more open to the idea of forgiveness, despite being hurt as her soaring voice exclaims that ‘Ten times out of nine I know you’re lying/ But nine times out of ten I know you’re trying’. She now seems a bit more content now after the ferocious nature of the opening of Lemonade, and the emotional ‘Sandcastles’, which shows of her stunning vocals and emotional delivery, heralds the slow but growing return to being strong once more after all the hurt and the pain she has endured. ‘Forward’ provides a stunning interlude between this and the Kendrick Lamar featuring anthem ‘Freedom’, which is filled with gospel harmonies and a strong message about overcoming adversity that Beyoncé belts with fierce conviction. The almost heavenly sounding ‘All Night’ marks the re connection with one’s beloved in beautiful lyrics and sensual passion. Rounding off Lemonade is ‘Formation’, which bravely delves into subjects of race and pride. Beyoncé displays how she isn’t afraid to be confrontational and aggressive with her music and this shines through, especially on this track.

And I have to discuss the visuals of Lemonade as it is a visual album after all. The editing gives the whole package a real cohesion that brings to life all the themes Beyoncé explores. Going from sometimes frightening imagery, whispered poetic narration, to Southern Gothic framing and proud depictions of female empowerment, it’s a swirling cauldron of ideas brought to life with a vivid and purposeful cinematic quality. Split into chapters that go from anger to ultimate redemption and retribution, it grabs hold of you with its style and soulful underbelly.

All I have left to say is that Beyoncé has conjured up a surprisingly raw, unapologetic and highly cathartic record that speaks from the heart and the soul, and is for my money one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while and an undisputed masterpiece from an artist who is always setting the bar high.

What did you make of this music review? Do you think music reviews could be successful on my site?