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Conviction (2010)

Director: Tony Goldwyn

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

When Hollywood tackles a real-life sob story, it’s usually a recipe for the drab tedium of a TV movie. So respect is due to director Tony Goldwyn, writer Pamela Gray and actors Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell for embracing the melodramatic potential of this tale of wrongful imprisonment and sibling love and crafting an unashamedly old-school weepie aimed squarely at the Reader’s Digest set.

Swank plays Betty-Anne Waters, a struggling mother of two whose world implodes when her beloved big brother, town tearaway Kenny (Rockwell), is imprisoned for first degree murder. When a series of appeals fails to clear Kenny’s name, Betty-Anne heads to law school, banking her family’s future on her unshakeable faith in Kenny’s innocence.

Traditional and unambitious it may be, but ‘Conviction’ is a good tale persuasively told. Goldwyn’s direction is bland but efficient, Gray’s unfussy script steers clear of unnecessary sentiment and interest is maintained by a spectrum of superb supporting players, notably Melissa Leo as a vengeful cop, Peter Gallagher as a crusading lawyer and Juliette Lewis, in her most memorable rolein years, as a nicotine-stained, trailer-dwelling deviant.

But the two leads are the main attraction: pitching her performance somewhere between Joan Crawford and Jodie Foster, Swank’s Betty-Anne is all restrained emotion and quiet defiance and she’s a calm centre around which Rockwell’s showier, edgier Kenny can orbit. So when the plot turns predictable or the dialogue becomes too earnest and uplifting, these two workhorses ensure that ‘Conviction’ remains convincing.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2108: 13 – 19 January, 2108

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User reviews of this film

Mike said...

Posted on Jan 23 2011 21:56 Reviews have to give a little away about a film’s plot, and if you’ve read any review for this one you’ll have got the general gist of this film. So right from the outset you’re unlikely to be in for any big surprises. This film has a great cast (particularly Minnie Driver), which work very well with a fairly clichéd (though true) storyline. I’m really glad I saw this film, but feel I’ll never need to see it again – I don’t think I missed a thing. A really good film, but I can’t see how there’s an Oscar win in there. Three stars.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Jan 18 2011 22:53 Performances save this from dvd fodder - a special mention to Juilette Lewis (who is only in 2 scenes) It fails to be moving or rousing somehow but has enough "meat" to warrant a cinema view...just. 6/10

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Jan 16 2011 22:36 Tom's review hits the spot. Minnie Driver comes close to stealing the film. The only carp I have is the cheesey music attached to the "childhood" scenes. There certainly were tears at the end. The true ending is not revealed in this film which is quite cowardly of the makers.

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soosie said...

Posted on Jan 11 2011 14:13 Interesting that they steer clear of the real ending to the story though, that wouldn't fit in with the hollywood storyline I guess...

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