Primal Fear Review by Beth Ann Griese

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Starring	Richard Gere, Edward Norton
Director	Gregory Hoblit
Year	1996
What it's worth		Matinee (Good way to spend a couple of hours.)

Martin Vail (Richard Gere) is a publicity hound of a Chicago lawyer who loves to defend the indefensible, including gangsters and drug dealers. He enjoys his notorious reputation, says he doesn't ask whether his clients are guilty or not, and he doesn't care. He's just making sure they get defended, usually to the tune of a huge cut of the settlement. When the archbishop of Chicago is murdered, Vail immediately sees spotlights as the defender of Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), the young man who was caught at the scene of the crime.

The first half hour of the film is definitely the most interesting. The question of whether Stampler is guilty isn't nearly so intriguing as whether Vail thinks he is, and whether he cares. Vail may have actually found a client who is innocent, and a lot more than a few thousand dollars may hang on whether he can convince a jury of it.

Unfortunately, that wonderful idea doesn't carry through the entire film. The side questions like these are put aside in favor of a straightfoward whodunit, and while the mystery is well-done, it would have been so much more exciting if Vail wasn't simplified into a lawyer who turns out to be too idealistic by half. He was much more interesting when we, the viewers, were trying to figure out his motives.

The movie doesn't degrade into total formula, and the mystery does a good enough job of entertaining to still make the movie enjoyable. There are side stories that, for once, don't have to all tie up into a neat package. It's a rare movie that has the luxury to devote time to red herrings and unrealted incidents, but it helps keep this movie off-balance, to make the ending less predictable than it otherwise would be.

Also, thankfully enough, stereotypes are avoided. The psychiatrist (Frances McDormand) is competent. The prosecuting attorney (Laura Linney), even despite her previous romantic attachments to Vail, manages to do an excellent job. The judge (Alfre Woodard), for once, actually fines a lawyer for being in contempt. What an amazing change from the usual, when lawyers are given carte blanche to do whatever will make the movie more interesting, regardless of what a real judge would put up with.

And, in case you hadn't guessed already from that cast list, the acting is superb. Richard Gere is very hit-or-miss to me; I either really like his performances or I hate them. This time, he does very well, and he's helped by great work from the supporting actors around him, especially Norton as the nicknamed "Butcher Boy of St. Mike's."

Primal Fear won't win any prizes as one of the great courtroom dramas, but courtroom dramas are some of the most difficult stories to tell. They're incredible balancing acts between suspense and realism, especially in this decade when everyone has Court TV to tell them exactly how boring real courtrooms are. This film addresses the reality of twisting the truth for juries without dwelling on it and getting preachy about it. It manages to keep you just a wee bit unsure of what's going to happen next, and to appreciate the tough spots lawyers are put in so many times. It's interesting enough to catch, especially during the quiet spring movie season.

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