Ferrablog

Thoughts going in: I've had this one on the shelf for almost two years. Decided to dust it off; two years later, here's Jim "Jesus" Caviezel, military tribunals - it's almost as if it's been "ripped from the headlines" a la Law & Order.

Thoughts going out: Cliched on so many levels. First, it's the basic Ashley Judd "woman in peril" flick (cf. Double Jeopardy, Kiss The Girls), and it's the typical courtroom drama (albeit in a military setting) full of twists, turns, and "surprise" witnesses, and last but not least, it's a Corrupt Military Conspiracy Drama as well. I half-expected Jack Nicholson to wander in and admit he ordered the Code Red on Santiago. There's really nothing original to recommend here; even Amanda Peet plays the slut as usual. Only Morgan Freeman lends dignity to the proceedings, but then again, Freeman could lend dignity to Freddy Got Fingered. In fact, I still wish the Democrats had made an effort to get him to run for President. He has the experience, at least more than Arnold, who never once played the Governor of California before being elected to that office. And when did Carl Franklin turn into such a hack? One False Move and Devil in a Blue Dress were two of the more sublime films of the 90s. In sum, High Crimes is really a misdemeanor.

Rating (1-100): 44.