Criminal Law

After winning an acquittal for wealthy client Martin Thiel (Bacon), defence attorney Ben Chase (Oldman) discovers that he is in fact guilty of rape and murder. Will the attorney follow the advice of his fellow professional - 'Justice is for God' - or use privileged knowledge to expose Thiel? Given the basic plot, behind-camera talent and cast, the film should be better than it is. Martin Campbell (who directed the superb Edge of Darkness for television) uses tight frames and a sense of restlessness to convey tension, but this makes for uneasy viewing when combined with Mark Kasdan's overwrought script. A crude, confused psychology operates here: Thiel blames everything on Mother, and a conscience-stricken Chase turns homicidal while his old mentor offers quiet advice from the death-bed.