Double Jeopardy (DVD)

Advantages: Mildly diverting nonsense
Disadvantages: The bad guy is called Nicholas Parsons!

Ah, the things you’ll watch when your wife is working, the kids are sound asleep, and your ISP resolutely refuses to log you onto Ciao! When presented with that scenario the other evening, I was reduced to flicking through the Cable channels looking for something enticing. Instead, I found this! I was reluctant to watch it based on some negative comments on this very site, but I’ll admit I was initially intrigued by the premise and as ...
...it a go. It looks like I’m giving away a lot of the plot but believe me it’s still less than any trailer or review of the film gives away! Ashley Judd plays Libby Parsons, a seemingly happily married middle-class housewife who is pleasantly surprised when her husband, Nick (Bruce Greenwood, who was excellent in the under-rated TV show, Nowhere Man) buys her the beautiful sailboat she’s had her eye on for some time. Could he really ... Read review

Advantages: good performance by Jones
Disadvantages: Judd is not the worlds best actress

I rented this film from the video shop lastnite, having seen a trailor for it when watching Rules Of Engagement on Sunday nite (no,i'm not usually a video-aholic!). I was after some good entertainment for the evening, and i was satisfied that this film provided me with that (unlike X men when i fell to sleep too many times to count last weekend!). I'll try not to spoil the plot too much-most things i comment on will be seen in the first section ...
...THE PLOT The scene is set with an idealic husband Nic, wife Elizabeth (Ashley Judd) and young son Matty, living in a very 'nice' house, and they appear to be quite well off. The husband lures his wife away on a sailing weekend, and she awakes in the night to find her husband gone, and herself covered in blood, holding a knife as the Coastguard arrive. Elizabeth is duely tried and convicted of her husbands murder, and is sent to prison. She entrusts ... Read review

Advantages: GREAT THRILLS AND ACTION
Disadvantages: NONE THAT I CAN THINK OF

...the full truth of the double cross that's been done to her Libby slowly stews in a rage, with her helpful inmates again giving her useful pointers on what should be her next course of action. They point out that even if Libby tracks her husband and Angie down again she can't do any thing while she's still inside. Libby is advised to just do her time and when she gets out she can go after her husband with impunity as she has already been convicted ...
...she cannot be tried for the same crime again. Libby takes this advice on board and bides her time in training and building up her strength. She gets through the parole board after being six years inside and once free starts looking for leads to her husband and son. Her first port of call however is to meet her parole officer, the gruff Travis Layman played by Tommy Lee Jones. Layman lays down the law on Libby's first day and tells her she will be ... Read review

Advantages: Gives you some good advice
Disadvantages: well it nearly made me cry

...the same crime twice - Double Jeopardy. While in jail Elizabeth phones Angela to speak to her son but is told she has moved address. Angela stops bringing her son to see her. Elizabeth tracks down Angela’s new address by phoning companies and giving false information. She phones Elizabeth and tells her to put her son on the phone now. Whist talking to her son she hears her husband in the background. - The plot thickens She now knows that he ...
...whole thing, so they could become a family with her out of the way. This gives Elizabeth hope and she starts training in jail. She starts running and weight training, pure hate is driving her on. After 6 years in prison she gets patrol. Her parole officer is a complete control freak with a serious attitude problem. (Tommy Lee Jones plays this part spot on) He is very strict and takes no crap. So now that Elizabeth is out of jail she heads straight ... Read review

Advantages: interesting
Disadvantages: a little far fetched at times

Don’t try and fool your wife into thinking that you are dead. By all means try and fool her into thinking that you are asleep but leave it at that. However, Ashley Judd’s screen husband decides to ignore the advice I have given above. Not only does he pretend to be dead, he fakes his death in such a way as to frame his wife for it! HOW SO? Well….he goes for a boat trip with the wife. They make passionate lurrrve and while she ...
...put in her wine) he sets about his dastardly deeds. Having phoned the Coastguard he cuts himself and smears the blood liberally over his wife and the boat. The knife with which he does this is then left upon the deck. When she finally wakes up he is gone she follows the trail of blood and the Coastguard materialise. You don’t actually get the ancillary details until later on in the film. SO HOW DOES SHE GET INTO TROUBLE? When the Coastguard ... Read review