It's been hyped to be the hottest movie of the summer -- calling out to those countless numbers of fans who glued themselves to every page of suspense-writer John Grisham's best seller, "The Firm." The movie version, starring Tom Cruise, opened Wednesday in theaters everywhere.
Unlike other suspense novels that make successful movies, like Jonathan Demme's "Silence of the Lambs," this law firm thriller plot fails to keep its audience as entertained because of the long-drawn out story and the slow pace.
It contradicts the whole premise of a thriller which is to keep viewers on edge.
Cruise plays the young, ambitious and money-hungry lawyer named Mitch McDeere.
McDeere, having just graduated fifth in his Harvard Law School class, is lured to a small Memphis-based law firm called Bendini, Lambert, and Locke by offers of a high salary, a new home and a fancy car -- all the things he dreamed of possessing because of his impoverished childhood.
Mitch's wife Abby, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, is suspicious from the start of what seems to be a life that's just a little too good to be true. In fact, her suspicions prove correct. The law firm is wrapped up in a web of illegal activities that takes young lawyers like McDeere as its prey.
After a chain of suspicious deaths and a visit from the F.B.I., Mitch and Abby realize that their seemingly perfect life could be taking a serious turn for the worse.
To get out alive, Mitch begins working secretively with the F.B.I., trying to collaborate enough evidence to indict the firm -- a task that is easier said than done.
The main problem with the film is its length, it is over two and a half hours long. Scenes that should have been captured in two minutes take forever to unravel, and small details that could have been developed into great action scenes are quickly overlooked.
Though Cruise and the rest of the cast display some real talent in their respective roles, the action just isn't there to carry the viewer through without at least a yawn or two.
The film, which is directed by Sydney Pollack, also features Gene Hackman as Mitch's mentor Avery Tolar; Gary Busey as the detective McDeere hires to help him unravel the mystery of the firm; Holly Hunter as the detective's secretary and Mitch's assistant to the F.B.I.; and Wilford Brimley as what should be the mysterious, fairly evil head of security of the firm.
His recent oatmeal commercials and grand-fatherly roles on shows such as "Our House" take the edge off of his mean character in this movie.
For those who read the book, expect to see a very different ending than Grisham's. Although the ending in the book wasn't great, the film's ending was anticlimactic with a touch of Hollywood sappiness.
It may sound as if the film isn't worth seeing, but it has an intriguing plot and a star-studded cast, and offers some good acting too. Cruise is perfect for the role of the brilliant lawyer, that helps make the film entertaining and worth the admission price.
Though the movie isn't going to get a four-star review, the hype that lies behind it is sure to make it a very successful film, at least at the box office. And if you've read the book, it's definitely worth comparing to the film, if just for curiosity's sake.
