John Grisham's The Rainmaker / The Firm / Changing Lanes (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Not applicable

Advantages:	excellent if you are a john grisham fan
Disadvantages:	not an advisable purchase if you don't like legal thrillers .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

THE FIRM Genre: Thriller / Drama (more)

Directed by
Sydney Pollack

Writing credits
John Grisham (book)
David Rabe (screenplay)

Plot line

Mitchell Y. McDeere (Tom Cruise) has just graduated as one of the highest achievers from Harvard Law School. With an academic record as excellent as his there is great interest from huge corporate firms but it's a small firm from Memphis that captures Mitch's interest. Bendini, Lambert, and Locke make the terms of his joining so enticing that the deal is impossible to turn down with a starting salary near $100,000, a low-interest mortgage, free use of a company car, and a pay off for his college loans who in their right mind would refuse!

At first, Mitch and his wife Abby played by Jeanne Tripplehorne are keen to celebrate and enthuse over their new and unexpected lifestyle but it doesn't take long for the appeal to wane and holes emerge in this unimaginable and fairy-tale like lifestyle. Whilst Abby begins to sense trouble right away, Mitch is spurnned on by wealth, greed and a propserous career and surpresses his concerns over events occuring at the firm and it is only when he begins to delve out of curiosity, into the mysterious surroundings of two deaths of the firm legal team that he opens an unimaginable can of worms...that leads him to the realisation that all is not what it seems at Bendini, Lambert, and Locke.

At the same time without giving too much plot line away, the FBI approach Mitch with a dilemma and open his eyes to what the firm are doing to him and offer him a way out through blackmail after all they have their invested interests too.....

Mitch is then on a mission to save everything he took for granted including his marriage and freedom as he takes on a deceptive force to an extent that even he wasn't aware of.

Review

This is of course another movie adaptation of a great novel written by a very good author. Personally I love this kind of film moreso than reading the books. Whilst Tom Cruise obviously brings the 'Tom Cruise appeal' in playing himself as he always does, that can be overlooked by the excellent acting of those other actors arround him in particular Gene Hackman. Don't get me wrong Cruise does of course do an excellent job but for me he is not the memorable part. The film is quite long but I don't feel like it is stretched out as the pace is quite fast flowing throughout and is well maintained. Ed Harris plays a good part as the FBI agent and I think quite often he doesn't get recognised for his participation and contribution. Whilst he is not on Mitch's side you can not consider him a 'bad guy' even though he is out for his own gains. I was actually surprised to find that I have seen a number of films with him in to which he has contributed quite considerably.

The directing and casting I think was extremely good, there are quite a few characters and there are three parties to follow through one plot though I think it has been well done. There is obviously the firm(party 1), mitch (party 2) and the FBI (party 3) who need to use mitch for their gains in trapping the firm. There is little to comment about special effects, music, or soundtrack as it is not a film that requires it.

Overall with little to criticise the film stand alone is at 9/10 misses out on 10 because there are no special features and I like those!.

Cast overview

Tom Cruise .... Mitch McDeere
Jeanne Tripplehorn .... Abby McDeere
Gene Hackman .... Avery Tolar
Hal Holbrook .... Oliver Lambert
Terry Kinney .... Lamar Quinn
Wilford Brimley .... William Devasher
Ed Harris .... Wayne Tarrance
Holly Hunter .... Tammy Hemphill
David Strathairn .... Ray McDeere
Gary Busey .... Eddie Lomax
Steven Hill .... F. Denton Voyles
Tobin Bell .... The Nordic Man
Barbara Garrick .... Kay Quinn
Jerry Hardin .... Royce McKnight
Paul Calderon .... Thomas Richie

Extras

Runtime: 154 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Certification: UK:15 / USA:R
_______________________________________________

CHANGING LANES Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by
Roger Michell

Writing credits
Chap Taylor (story)
Chap Taylor (screenplay)

Plot Line

An attorney Gavin Banek played by Ben Affleck crosses paths with Doyle Gipson (Samuel L Jackson) an alcoholic insurance salesman who has fallen on hard times Both ironically are in a rush to attend court for hearings but for different reasons entirely. As Affleck rushes to save a multi-million pount trust - Jackson, is left stranded and misses his chance to gain custody of his children. it is only when Banek realises he has lost papers in the collision with Gispon that a cat and mouse chase ensues as Banek has to get those papers to court before the end of the day. As the plot develops and a few events later questions are begining to be asked as to what is really important in life and is revenge neccessary to the root of satisfaction and happiness.

A simple but effective plot line - take it for what it is.

Review

Needless to say the line up of actors again, like the firm draw your attention immediately and whilst it will never make my top ten of all time best films it is has an appeal about it that is quite fresh.

Samuel L Jackson is a terrific actor and he delivers another powerhouse performance, taking on a role somewhat different from his recent roles as an average bloke. As the audience his characher is introduced as a man not without his troubles mainly of his alcoholism leading to his divorce and loss of his children. I was impressed though as although you sympathise with his character you are not expected to pity him as he is seen as coming out of his torubles and fighting for his children.

Afflecks character however, a million miles from that of Gibson is no angel either and whilst he plays a good charming and acharasmatic character you don't sympathise with him nor are you expected to but Affleck maintains the same high standard as Jackson and the chemistry between them is very compatible - credit to the casting.

The script is very well written and captures the essence of the every day human struggle though I was slightly disappointed with the ending could have been a little bit stronger. i won't say any more as it will spoil it but apart from that it does not fall into the usual holliwood trap and manages to retain a lot of dignity, realism and integrity throughout the film by maintianing simplicty and looking into the depths of the charcters that many films often don't do. A credit to the acting, directing,script writing an excellent joint effort.

Cast overview
Ben Affleck .... Gavin Banek
Samuel L. Jackson .... Doyle Gipson
Kim Staunton .... Valerie Gipson
Toni Collette .... Michelle
Sydney Pollack .... Stephen Delano
Tina Sloan .... Mrs. Delano
Richard Jenkins .... Walter Arnell
Akil Walker .... Stephen Gipson
Cole Hawkins .... Danny Gipson
Ileen Getz .... Ellen
Jennifer Dundas .... Mina Dunne (as Jennifer Dundas Lowe)
Matt Malloy .... Ron Cabot
Amanda Peet .... Cynthia Delano Banek
Myra Lucretia Taylor .... Judge Frances Abarbanel
Bruce Altman .... Terry Kaufman

Extras

Runtime: 99 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Certification: UK:15 / USA:R

Overall my rating of this film has got to be 9/10 excellent screenplay and excellent throughout.

__________________________________________________

THE RAINMAKER Genre: Drama / Thriller

Directed by
Francis Ford Coppola

Writing credits
John Grisham (novel)
Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)

The Plot Line

Rudy Baylor went to university to study law with all the high expectations of an affluent and propserous career. All was shattered after gradualtion and left with high student loans debts to pay and with a family unable to help, Rudy bcomes an ambulance chaser which leads him to a less than acclaimed law firm who has a 'sort of lawyer' studied but failed the exam type Deck Shiffler (Danny Devito) and his partner played by
Mickey Roarke.
While Rudy emabrks on a hospital visit looking for business he comes across Kelly Riker (Clare Danes) a victim of domestic violence and a patient at the hospital. Whilst there is the obvious attraction between them fear of her husband leaves Kelly retunring home and whilst Rudy obviously affected by this
he is working on his first big case - suing an insurance company for failing to make good on a claim owed to his client, a leukemia patient, Donnie Ray Black (Johnny Whitworth).
When the inevitable happens and Donnie Ray dies, Rudy is left to represent Donnie Ray's mother, Dot (Mary Kay Place) against some of the biggest legal suits around....

The film follows the trials and tribulations of a young attorney trying to make a living with an ordinary man trying to abide by his moral code and retian his integrity at some of his most challenging times.

Review

Matt Damon does an excellent job in this film as the lead and credit to Coppola he has directed and amended the book into a screenplay exceptionally well, putting to rest the critics type casting of his films. The film is essentially a study of a character and his interatction with the people he comes across and the situations he has to face. A mention cannot be left out for Devito who plays his supporting role as the cynical, money driven, less than morallistic un licenced lawyer extremely well and contrasts well with Matt Damon. Clare Danes, I was pleasently surprised by, her acting was somewhat better than i expected (I was not at all taken by her in Romeo and Juliet) and I am sure any woman or man in that situation could empathise with the loss of enthusiasm towards life not to mention the obvious fear of violence and no escape from her situation. She was very believable.

Of course it is a john Grisham based film and is worked to a formula, but even for those who are not Grisham fans, persist with it because it has qualities that may surprise you. There is the obvious court room scenes but there isn't the usual 'finale' of raptuous applause when the outcome is delivered or the build up to a remarkable display of legal expertise/showmanship that appear out of nowhere and make a novice lawyer seem like he has been doing it for years. There is actually an element of realism and that is rare of the courtroom scenes.

The film is not without its downsides and the development of the relationship between kelly and Rudy seemed to pick up too much pace and the ending itself was a littel rushed, suprising as the 140 minute film does not feel so long.

I would definately recommend this film to both grisham and non-grisham fans alike. It has elements expected of his work but does actually tell an interesting story.

Cast overview

Matt Damon .... Rudy Baylor
Danny DeVito .... Deck Shifflet
Claire Danes .... Kelly Riker
Jon Voight .... Leo F. Drummond
Mary Kay Place .... Dot Black
Dean Stockwell .... Judge Harvey Hale
Teresa Wright .... Miss Birdie
Virginia Madsen .... Jackie Lemancyzk
Mickey Rourke .... Bruiser Stone
Andrew Shue .... Cliff Riker
Red West .... Buddy Black
Johnny Whitworth .... Donny Ray Black
Wayne Emmons .... Prince Thomas
Adrian Roberts .... Butch
Roy Scheider .... Wilfred Keeley

Extras
Runtime: 135 min
Country: USA
Language: English

Certification: UK:15 / USA:PG-13

On a stand alone basis I would give this film an 8/10

__________________________________________________

Overall, this dvd box set is a very good mixture though the obvious them running through them all is that they are based on John Grisham novels. Quite often box sets are made up of the one or two films you want and added to with some tripe that isn't worth watching but not this. I bought this at WHS Smiths for 12.99 and it was worth every penny. Athough of course these films are quite old now and The Firm has recently been on tv, it makes each dvd £4.33 each - which ain't bad.

On an averaged weighting the whole box set i would rate as
8.66/10