Law Review

This past weekend, I had the chance to see Primal Fear for the first time. I had long been interested in this legal thriller that was Edward Norton's big breakout role, but never really got around to it. Somewhere along the way, the "twist ending" of the film was spoiled for me, pushing it a little further off my radar. But I finally got past all that and saw what I'd been missing.

Edward Norton is indeed incredible in the movie, but he's actually just one stellar actor in a very "deep bench" of high-quality performers -- Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, Terry O'Quinn, Andre Braugher, and more appear, and all of them really add to the film.

In fact, I think it would be fair to say that what they add to the film is what makes it worth seeing. It's a pretty conventional story. Aside from a good zinger of a line or two, the writing is capable but not outstanding. Really, that twist ending seems put there just so that the film could be distinctive on the page in some way. (I realize the movie was based on a book, which perhaps was stronger than this adaptation. I think I mean that in a pile of adapted legal thriller scripts on some Hollywood executive's desk, I feel like it's only the ending that made it stand out.)

It's hard for me to guess how I might have reacted if I'd seen the film without any knowledge of the story. But as it stands, I can certainly recommend it on the strength of its cast. I'd rate it a B+.