Presumed Innocent (DVD)

If you like thrillers and mysteries, this one's for you! Excellent movie with a great twist at the end! By the way there is a sequel with Bill Pullman, 20 years forward and it's as great as the original!

Super fun suspense movie!

This movie was pretty good, decent plot and acting. Good points were covered and it held interest.

This is one of my all-time favorite criminal justice dramas. Any law student thinking about criminal law should watch this. Any practicing prosecutor, criminal defense attorney or police detective should watch this movie.The plot combines politics, criminal procedure, trial tactics, relationships, honesty and lying.I cannot give this movie 5 stars because Hollywood tossed in some horrible scenes that distract from an otherwise good storyline. It is a shame that directors cannot leave that gratuitous crap out, but they always feel a need to include the politically correct message. (Dear Hollywood, leave your liberal ideology on the cutting room floor, we are ALL sick of it). Despite Hollywood trying to tank this movie in a few scenes, those bad scenes don't destroy the movie.The movie is a little dated in terms of technology and there are some characters that don't add to the plot, but it holds up fairly well on the strength of the main story.This was one of Raul Julia's last films and he does an excellent job. Although he has less screen time than Harrison Ford, Raul Julia has a greater impact on the success of the movie.Some of the criminal procedure shown in the movie is wrong or at least improbable, but for the sake of the story, this is forgivable. Accuracy is never Hollywood's strong point.So, if you want to watch an early 1990's crime drama that's NOT about some poor, downtrodden, disadvantaged youth being screwed by the system - this is a good movie.

In "Presumed Innocent" Deputy Prosecutor Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) has a torrid love affair with a colleague, prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus, who turns up as the victim of a sadistic rape murder. Chief Prosecutor Ray Horgan (excellently delineated by Brian Dennehy) puts Rusty in charge of the investigation, but Horgan, in the middle of a reelection campaign, doesn't think his deputy is putting as much zeal as he should into finding the murderer. Rusty's friend, detective Lipranzer (Lip) thinks Rusty is obstructing and impeding the investigation. When Horgan loses the election to his opponent Nico Della Guardia (nicknamed Delay), the tables are turned, and Rusty himself is accused of the murder by Nico and his prosecutor sidekick Tommy Molto who have amassed a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing to Rusty.Until his encounter with Carolyn, Rusty was a pillar of rectitude and high principles, but he became so obsessed and driven by her charms that he didn't see the devious side of her. The Carolyn sections are shown in long flashbacks that reveal her as a schemer and opportunist who was romantically involved with several key participants. Horgan turns on his former assistant and says, "You always had the cork in too tight. We all saw that. When you blew, you blew." The last part of the film is a courtroom drama in which Raul Julia plays Rusty's suave defense lawyer, and Paul Winfield plays the outspoken, no-nonsense judge. It's an exciting case to watch with many twists and turns. Rusty's moody wife Barbara stands behind him even though she was incensed by his infidelity. There's a lot about a missing bribery file that turns out to be a crucial element as does a missing glass with Rusty's fingerprints. The theme throughout is that the case against Rusty is a set-up, a frame-up. This is a very faithful and absorbing rendering of Scott Turow's best seller with all of the essential elements of the suspenseful book retained. The acting is uniformly excellent with superb editing. Harrison Ford has a tendency to play Harrison Ford no matter what role he undertakes, but this film is a keeper with plenty to keep you engrossed.

If you like courtroom dramas then you should check out Presumed Innocent. Harrison Ford is the deputy district attorney accused of killing a co-worker he had an affair with. What stands out isn’t the case but the personalities of the main characters.Ford plays his part as a beat down man. That’s shown by his worn look. The only time he looks like he has some life is when he was with the victim because she was a break from his routine. He was also a bit of a stalker. His fate is made more difficult as he gets caught in the middle of office politics.Raul Julia is Ford’s lawyer. He is very smart and calculating. He lays down some sharp jabs in court. Paul Winfield is the judge. In his first scene he gives a speech about the use of language which is hilarious. He’s also very opinionated throughout the trial. Joe Grifasi is the prosecuting attorney and comes off as a weasel.

I really liked the plot but there are holes in the details. Acting by Harrison Ford was excellent and Raul Julia as defense attorney gave a wonderful performance. What I don’t get is how Barbara’s crime went unnoticed by the cops and how Rusty can let her get away with murder! I didn’t see the end coming!

Top class cast with Ford, Brian Dennehy, Bonnie Bedelia & Greta Scacchi (both looking the best that they have ever been on screen), Raul Julia and John Spencer (Leo in 'The West Wing') so what could go wrong ? Well nothing in my view as they add to this very good thriller / courtroom drama which is intriguing and full of a few twists that help conceal the real villain right up to the final scene.The late Raul Julia had a voice as silky as Ronald Colman and is a joy to watch and listen to as he defends Ford who as usual squirms and sweats as the accused ---- did he murder his lover or has somebody framed him ? Some perceptive viewers might guess who the perpetrator is but at least there are two quality hours of drama before the reveal. 1990 made and hasn't dated a bit.122 minutes, English subtitles for the hearing impaired, no bonus features. The film is long and good enough on its own.

The rewards from this movie are, like the plot, many fold. It works on a number of different levels. The main premise is whether Rusty the lawyer (played by Harrison Ford) murdered his former lover or not. If you cannot grasp the many clues and red herrings at first watch it again. You can appreciate the subtle direction and acting to a greater degree. As the Ford character says at the very end - 'There is always punishment'. A well plotted movie that embraces the inner workings of the American judicial system with ambition, politics and the failing of human nature.

This is a very different Harrison Ford - no Indiana Jones or kick ass action anywhere in sight, but having said that, it's still a great movie. Unexpected would be the word I would use to sum it up - on every level. Good acting and lots of surprises keep you guessing right up until the last few scenes - don't worry though, no spoiler alerts here! If you like tense courtroom dramas with lots of side stories and intrigue then this will definitely be a 5***** movie for you.

Apart from "Mosquito Coast" has Harrison Ford ever made a bad film?If he's in it you know it will be OK. This is more than OK it's a great plot, well scripted, well acted and a brilliant cast. And there is a real end twist....but you'll have to watch the movie to discover what it is. You certainly don't see it coming....at least I didn't.

This is one of my favourite films! The main reason I like it is the fact that the plot is full of twists but the brilliant cast is one more "'plus" in my book. I cxonsider this one of the best films of the nineties and would recommend it to fans of detective stories!