Taking some big name talent that has been in more good films then anyone can even bother to count is a great way to start getting your film ready for the shoot. One would think that you can put phenomenal actors into the roles you have planned and you’re going to be looking at a film that will turn out pretty damn good. The untrained eye really needs to realize though that so much more goes into making an award winner. A good, if not great, script is needed. Chemistry between the talents is a big plus because if they don’t mesh on screen then you’ve got nothing. One of the other big cogs needed is good direction from the man behind the camera so that everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing at all times and how to do it. Sadly, High Crimes is a film that looks good on the outside looking in, but once you sit down with it on in front of you…things take a turn.
Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) is a hard-nosed attorney in San Francisco that has everything going for her as she lives in a wonderful city and has the most perfect husband in Tom (Jim Caviezel). Tom and Claire are living the good life and trying to have a baby so their family can be complete and the awesome living can continue on. Into all sunny days though, a little rain must fall. For Tom and Claire though, it’s more like a hurricane. After a late night break-in at their home brings out the police for an investigation, Tom’s prints are lifted and it appears as if he is a wanted man by the Marines for a series of murders under an alias. Life is now up in the air for them as Tom is going to be defended by a rookie that doesn’t have a single win under his belt so Claire takes it upon herself to fight her husband’s case. This doesn’t prove so successful either so it is now left in the hands of an alcoholic ex-military lawyer named Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman) to prove Tom’s innocence which Claire knows is the truth.
Sounds like an interesting enough plot, but it’s kind of frustrating not long after all the action starts. The beginning is so generic and picture-perfect that you start to hate the characters of Tom and Claire almost from the beginning which takes their likability out almost immediately. Trust me, it’s not jealousy but annoyance. Once the good, yet predictable, storyline really gets going, I already could care less what happens to Tom so it doesn’t matter to me if he goes down for the murders. Hell, I actually kind of was pleased because it took Claire’s happy-go-lucky attitude and slapped it right in the face. Claire then tries to take the world on her own shoulders and it kind of makes you dislike her even more because it seems so unbelievable yet ironic at the same time.
“My innocent and perfect husband has been accused of things he couldn’t possibly have done. What a lucky break that I’m a high-powered and successful attorney.”
OY! That just bugged me to no end, but you can’t really blame Ashley Judd here because she did all she could with the role provided to her. Same goes for Jim Caviezel even though he hadn’t really hit his acting stride at this point so he’s so-so here. Morgan Freeman comes in after all the hoopla goes down and is fantastic in the role of the drunk here, but that is commonplace with all that he does. Weird that even when a guy plays a raging alcoholic, we still learn to love the character because he’s just that good an actor. Sadly though, these talented actors could not help a film that came through with a mediocre script and poor direction making High Crimes truly criminal.
The film is shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it’s a perfect transition to Blu-ray. Any grain or blurriness you may see is simply done on purpose for effect in the film so don’t worry. Colors are bright when needed and the darker scenes are done wonderfully so all can be seen.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and it’s not too bad. The surrounding speakers don’t get much of a workout as the big effects are very rare and the music isn’t overly mood altering. All dialogue can be heard clearly though which is a plus.
Audio Commentary – Director Carl Franklin sits alone for this track and it isn’t too bad, but would have benefited from having someone for him to interact with. Franklin is extremely informative and gives a lot of good tidbits as the film goes along, but it gets dull after a while.
Liar Liar – FBI Consultant Sue Doucette gives tips on how a polygraph test (lie detector) can be beaten or manipulated. Not a lot of information is given forth, but it’s an interesting piece that makes you wonder just how reliable those tests truly are. Not that I’d ever want to be in a position where I’d need to take one. (5:52)
A Military Mystery – Novelist Joseph Finder gives a short interview about how the differences and similarities between his book and the film adaptation. (7:22)
A Different Kind Of Justice – This is perhaps the best feature on this disc because it analyzes the differences between military and civilian law. Being a huge fan of N.C.I.S., I’m intrigued by how the rules/laws change from military to us normal folks and this featurette covers some great points. Wish it was longer actually. (4:58)
FBI Takedown In Union Square – A behind the scenes’ look at the filming of this particular scene. (3:34)
Car Crash – Director Carl Franklin narrates over more behind the scenes’ footage for the filming of another big scene. (2:04)
Together Again – Kind of a “making of” featurette, but it focuses more on Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman working together again (after Kiss the Girls). Nothing much to see here. (7:31)
Original Theatrical Trailer
You won’t get much of a recommendation from me here because the film is extraordinarily sub-par and the special features don’t add much so putting forth the cash for a Blu-ray purchase is not worth it. High Crimes isn’t even worth a rental, but I’m sure you can catch it on TNT or TBS at some point in time if you really have the urge to check it out. It could have been so much better but it failed on multiple levels. Not much else to say here, but High Crimes is guilty of severe underachieving.
God, I’m horrible.
20th Century Fox presents High Crimes. Directed by: Carl Franklin. Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Jim Caviezel, Amanda Peet, Tom Bower. Written by: Joseph Finder, Yuri Zeltser, &Cary Bickley. Running time: 115 minutes. Rating: PG-13. Released on DVD: September 1, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
