Reviewed 03 July 2002              High Crimes starts at a snail-pace - wasting 20 minutes, or so, setting the "Happy Family" scene.   To our relief, Director Carl Franklin finally gets off his lazy backside and gets into the story.
            The "Happy Family", Claire (Ashley Judd) and Tom Kubic (Jim Caviezel) , are awakened in the night by teenage hoodlums who have broken into the house.    They are chased off, without much harm to the property.   Tom seems satisfied, but Claire calls the cops, and the subsequent investigation is most revealing.
            High Crimes segues to an off-the-shelf military court martial film, but is at the last minute resurrected by Franklin with some decent storytelling.   --And a lot of good acting.    Grimes (Morgan Freeman), a reforming alcoholic lawyer with a military background is retained by Claire to defend Tom, because he is suppposed to be the best.   Does Morgan Freeman always carefully choose good movies to act in or does the movie become good by him being in it - or does it even matter?
            High Crimes' ending is befitting a good "suspenser", and even worth the wait.   However, the closing scene should have been graciously donated to the janitor's sweepings;   -- a typical Hollywood attempt to make everything warm and cozy   -- Claire waxing idyllically about how she wants to fix up the new office, and Grimes mumbling subserviently.

        Enduring Line Or Phrase:   "Military justice is to Justice, as military music is to music."

Reviewed by Narada for Bangkok Eyes - 03 July 2002

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