Release Year: 1996 Rating: R Duration: 129 minutes Director: Gregory Hoblit Producer: Gary Lucchesi
synopsis
Powerful, media-hungry Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) gets in over his head when he takes the case of an altar boy (Edward Norton making his film debut) accused of murdering an archbishop. His opponent for the prosecution is his former protege and lover Janet Venable (Laura Linney), who's out to make this her watershed case. A suspenseful courtroom with a truly unexpected ending, this drama is based on the novel by William Diehl.
cast
Richard Gere as Martin Vail
quote
Judge Miriam Shoat: You are making a mockery of my courtroom and I'm not going to allow it. I suggest you start representing your client and stop representing yourself.
PRIMAL FEAR is an excellent whodunit full of lots of plot twists and surprises. Some things you think are clearly so, aren't; whereas other obvious facts are actually true. The script by Ann Biderman and Steve Shagan and based on the novel by William Diehl is like the maze at a fun house. Some paths seem to work and do whereas others you think you see clearly but don't. Other than the great plot, there are two outstanding performances by Edward Norton and Richard Gere. All of this notwithstanding, the movie, because of the direction by Gregory Hoblit, is less than the sum of its parts and overall is not near as good a movie as it could have been or should have been.
