The Firm

In which we learn that lawyers are sleazy. Sorry, sport—that’s old news. I’ve never read a John Grisham novel; never seemed like my cup of tea. So I had to overcome some preconceptions to appreciate this flick, and I’d have to say the effort mostly succeeded. As always, it helps to have Tom Cruise working towards that goal; he brings his usual solid performance here as young, on the verge of being compromised lawyer Mitchell, though here he plays it without his usual level of hyper-confidence. Even without his normal level of self-assurance, Cruise gives the audience a protagonist to root for. Our lead is ably assisted in this effort by a host of familiar faces in supporting roles, with Jane Tripplehorn not the least among that secondary cast as Mitch’s suffering but ultimately involved and active wife. The plot is intricate, though not so much so that it trips on itself, and there’s just enough action to relieve any slow spots in the proceedings. No doubt the references to various workings of the law are accurate and relevant to the story, though perhaps that’s the least important aspect of the production. I’m going to say that overall, this is a good, entertaining and satisfying flick—I’d just prefer not to have to swear to that under oath. Your witness, counselor.

The Natural

Life in the Manichean league. Not since the black-hat/white-hat westerns of days of yore has there been a movie so simplistic in its depiction—visually, at least, if not in plot terms — of the good vs. evil conflict. And yet, despite this film’s short-spectrum presentation, the story still comes across as something of a muddle. Yes, it is apparently supposed to be something of a mystery what happened to Roy Hobbs during all those missing years—but that doesn’t mean the character’s arc should make so little sense. The viewer is left wondering why exactly that life-changing event happened at all, let alone why someone seemingly as good and grounded as Redford’s character would be so thoroughly diverted for a decade and a half. This is movie that, like most fables, I suppose, does not stand up all that well to scrutiny. Sure, the right side wins in the end—no real spoiler there; the denouement is obvious all the way through—but even such a triumphant ending ultimately comes across as unsatisfying. You can chalk this one up as a win, ultimately, but there were certainly errors made along the way.