Maria Kurland

Derivative and pedantic narrative, lackluster acting from well-known professionals who could have done a much better job elsewhere. They probably agreed to do the movie out of respect for Eastwood — hopefully, all were well-compensated for their collective effort to save the bad script. The main character and his wife are generic, and each subsequent character is a cliché. We have seen it all before… the sob stories are as abundant as the plot holes. A retired cop who just won’t quit, an Asian medical student, a humorless lady judge, a defense lawyer and prosecutor who exchange playful banter at the bar after hours, a sobriety chip held up high by a character who “changed”, a guy with past trauma who has reason to convict, etc. Let’s not forget a loner witness who happens to positively identify a murderer in pitch darkness when a lightning bolt hits, in pouring rain. Ever tried doing that? It’s so helpful to convict for sure, you see, and put the dude away for life based on this evidence alone. Quite awful writing-wise, weak, and entirely predictable. The central dilemma that’s offered to us is as enlightening as the realization that water is wet. This one “goes straight to DVD”.