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Tessa (Cynthia Erivo) is a gifted defence barrister. ‘It’s not emotional to me,’ she says. ‘It’s like a game.’ In that game, she knows precisely when to interject, expertly leading questions to ensure victory for her clients. Her speciality has become sex crimes. As a colleague observes, that’s because the optics are good for a man accused of rape to have a woman defending him. It doesn’t bother Tessa: her role is to uphold the legal system that she holds in such high esteem.
But her faith in the system is shattered when Tessa is raped by a colleague, fellow barrister Julian (The Gentlemen’s Daniel Ings). It’s a horrifying violation that shatters Tessa’s worldview, as well as her sense of safety and self. Devastated by what seemed like a promising romance blowing up in such violating fashion, she intends to use the full extent of the law against Julian in the pursuit of justice.
Susanna White’s Prima Facie starts with a literal spring in its step, zooming in on Tessa’s shoes as she dances through London’s Old Bailey to some upbeat hip-hop. It’s an exciting signal that we’ve not seen something like Prima Facie before. But that energy quickly fades, and White’s film becomes highly conventional. It often feels like an episode of Law & Order, except that show has a more interesting visual texture than what’s on display here. It’s unfortunate that the film is so frustratingly familiar, especially given that the one-woman play it’s based on bucks convention at every turn. The film’s most frustrating moment comes when it uses the threat of sexual assault as a fakeout, turning such weighty subject matter into a plot device. It feels especially poorly judged given the sensitively elsewhere in the film.
Prima Facie relies heavily on Erivo’s charismatic performance
Prima Facie relies heavily on Erivo’s charismatic performance and the Londoner is brilliant as this complicated character, effectively conveying the thrill of having power and then the trauma of losing it entirely.
It’s not without issues but Prima Facie tackles an important and all-too relevant issue with thoughtfulness and intelligence. When Tessa’s trial finally comes, it’s riveting, with an especially harrowing cross-examination sequence. It leans rather preachy in its final moments, but it’s a subject matter worthy of it. Erivo is arresting, and the final third is so strong that it makes you wish that the rest of the film was of the same calibre.
Prima Facie premiered at TIFF. Out in UK and Ireland cinemas Nov 13.