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From:Richard Gere , Laura Linney , Edward Norton , John Mahoney , Frances McDormand , GERE,RICHARD , Gregory Hoblit , Paramount ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#3493 |
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1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
 Provides a more accurate look at the legal system..., 2006-12-19
Edward Norton's portrayal of "the butcher boy," an altar boy accused of brutally murdering a bishop, is acting at its best (earning him an Oscar nomination and a successful career). Aside from a great story-line and exceptional performances, however, is the portrayal of the legal system. Most "law" movies ignore the fundamentals of criminal procedure and the rules of evidence. For example, in "A Few Good Men," the witnesses do very little testifying; instead the attorney testifies (that Santiago, the vic, didn't pack anything or call anyone to tell them he was being transferred...etc.) - the rules of evidence forbid such testimony by the attorney. Even so, "A Few Good Men" is a hollywood blockbuster and is, admittedly, an interesting movie. However, "Primal Fear" portrayed more accurate court scenes and was still a box-office success (and in my opinion, a better movie for it). Hopefully, other directors and screen-writers will be encouraged by this & fewer will completely ignore the law when creating characters that are facing trial; the court room needn't be just another set...it can be a focal component of a great film (as this movie indicates).
1 of 8 customers found the following review helpful:
 sad ending, 2006-10-20
The acting was good (really liked the kid, especially watching him switch back and forth like that; always enjoy Frances McDormand's performances). The story line was good - the suspense was fun, the depth of the characters made it really interesting. The ending - well - not so incredibly surprising as they would have you believe.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT==SPOILER ALERT
I had started to speculate that maybe the kid was faking the little Multiple Personality Disorder piece. But the psychological tension steers you away from that suspicion - until that 'twisty' ending - when it turns out that the kid isn't dissociative, he's just an evil sociopath.
What I found truly sad was the last line of the movie: "hey, love hurts!" Upshot of the story: The cynical, arrogant lawyer finds his soul, and his heart gets broken. The end. I just hated the ending of this movie. There was no meaning to it. The moral of the story was that it just doesn't pay to believe in anything. It could have been a great movie, if the ending hadn't been so bleak and pointless.
20 of 20 customers found the following review helpful:
"Your job is to sit there and look innocent.", 2006-08-09
The archbishop of Chicago has just been brutally murdered and 19-year old altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) is found running from the scene, covered in the man's blood. It looks like an open and shut case against the simple, stuttering boy, until dashing Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a self-proclaimed "big-deal lawyer," offers to defend him - pro bono. The prosecutor he'll be facing in the courtroom is none other than his ex-girlfriend (Laura Linney), who is still bitter about their past. With the help of a psychologist (Frances McDormand), Vail discovers a shocking secret about young Aaron that may save his life.
This is a great movie; I've seen it many times and it never gets old. Gere is perfectly cast as the handsome and confident charmer, and Edward Norton surely had one of his best roles ever as Aaron - and this was his first movie role. He is so charismatic that you will not be able to take your eyes off him. The search for the killer's motive is intense and surprising, with lots of opportunities for Gere to showcase his tremendous appeal. Highly recommended for those who like character-driven mysteries.
 GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!, 2006-07-10
This movie is very good. Richard Gere is just awesome. Laura Linney was excellent.
6 of 6 customers found the following review helpful:
What Mask Do You Wear?, 2006-05-02
In PRIMAL FEAR, Richard Gere plays high-powered attorney Martian Vail. Vail is a defense attorney and one of the highest paid lawyers in the country. He has a reputation for getting guilty people off the hook, whether it is by emotion or technicality. Sometimes the accused are actually innocents, but the media never seems to recognize that. Besides, many of Vail's trial have been huge public trials full of media circuses. So when Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), an innocent-looking, stuttering altar boy is accused of brutally murdering Local Archbishop Richard Rushman (Stanley Anderson), Vail jumps at the opportunity to defend Stampler pro bono. Along the way, Vail becomes convinced of Stampler's innocence. The evidence points directly to Stampler, but as the story unfolds it becomes apparent that someone besides Stampler killed Rushman.
I've seen PRIMAL FEAR a number of times and though the initial shock of the film is dampened after the first viewing, the movie is still a powerful picture. PRIMAL FEAR is a movie that offers viewers a glimpse into the nature of evil and how good people can become unwitting pawns in the games of life.
PRIMAL FEAR was the motion picture debut of Edward Norton. Norton is one of the most talented actors in the business. His performance as Aaron Stampler is phenomenal and signaled the major player that Norton was to become.
The DVD only includes the trailer as a special feature.
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