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Presumed Innocent

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Presumed Innocent (1990)

July. 27,1990
|
6.9
|
R
| Thriller Crime Mystery
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Rusty Sabich is a deputy prosecutor engaged in an obsessive affair with a coworker who is murdered. Soon after, he's accused of the crime. And his fight to clear his name becomes a whirlpool of lies and hidden passions.

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Reviews

Colibel
1990/07/27

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

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Console
1990/07/28

best movie i've ever seen.

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Huievest
1990/07/29

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

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Jenni Devyn
1990/07/30

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

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hamidrezarafatnejad
1990/07/31

As an Alan J. Pakula fanatic, there is nothing to dislike about this well staged adaptation. There are some minor plot flaws, sure, but with Gordon Willis magnificent photography nothing can beat the movie!--- Hamidreza Rafatnejad

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dierregi
1990/08/01

In the early 90s Grisham and Turow were the golden boys of legal drama. They churned out novel after novel, followed by movies of decreasing success. "Presumed Innocent", adapted from a long novel by Turow, is one of the first of these movies.Grisham plots tend to be rather simple, Turow's are more labyrinthine, with a large dose of politics added to the thriller. While a larger scope may benefit a novel, it is definitely detrimental to this movie.Rusty Sabich, played by a Harrison Ford in top form, is a chief deputy D.A. struggling with a guilty conscience. Rusty is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of his secret ex-lover and colleague Carolyn (an equally enthralling Scacchi). He proceeds, despite the huge conflict of interest.All clues point to him as the murderer, so we are given to believe that despite feeling bad about smashing his ex-lover's head, he will still try to cheat justice.The very long and politically incorrect "investigation" shows Carolyn in flashbacks, as somebody who had it coming. Rusty digs at some old case of corruption, involving political enemies and manages to drag this unrelated dirty laundry to court, leading to a mistrial.However, the truth is revealed at the end: the killer is actually Barbara, Rusty's frustrated - and deranged - wife. She plotted the murder for months in meticulous creepy details. The audience is left with Rusty planning to atone by spending the rest of his life with his nutty wife, because she is the mother of his child…. not a smart move, considering how revengeful she is…What could have been a passable thriller with a decent surprise-ending is spoiled and watered down by the political sub-plot. A tighter story at least 30 minutes shorter could have made for a more engaging view, the courtroom scenes are long and outdated and the dialogue is repetitive, with silly gags such as the judge purposely and childishly mispronouncing the name Della Guardia every time he gets a chance (which is way too often).

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SnoopyStyle
1990/08/02

D.A. Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy) is in a heated election. Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) is his deputy with wife Barbara (Bonnie Bedelia) and son. Young prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus (Greta Scacchi) is brutally murdered and Horgan assigns the case to Rusty. Rusty had slept with Carolyn which his wife already knows. Carolyn was also investigating a corrupt unknown prosecutor. Rusty's friend Det. Lipranzer (John Spencer) is investigating her murder. Horgan loses to Nico Della Guardia and his deputy Tommy Molto starts to prosecute Rusty. The case Carolyn was working on seems to lead to Tommy Molto. With all sides closing in, Rusty turns to defense lawyer Sandy Stern (Raul Julia).I am much more interested in the murder mystery than the courtroom maneuvers. I would have loved following the case in the shoes of an investigator. By concentrating on the court case, that take the emphasis away from trying to find the truth. Courtroom scenes are not always the most dramatic for me. There are a couple of compelling turns but I find the courtroom not that energetic. The reveal is very compelling but I wish Rusty had solved the case during the trial.

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AaronCapenBanner
1990/08/03

Alan J. Pakula directed this courtroom drama/mystery based on a Scott Turow novel that stars Harrison Ford as Deputy D.A. Rusty Sabich, who becomes a prime suspect in the murder of a coworker named Carolyn(played by Greta Scacchi) whom he was also having an affair with, despite being happily married to his wife(played by Bonnie Bedelia) He gets respected attorney 'Sandy' Stern(played by Raul Julia) to defend him, and their ensuing investigation leads them to some surprising secrets and motives, though the ultimate truth will hit Rusty close to home... Not bad film certainly has a fine cast and efficient direction, though it's always a pity to see a finely tuned script saddled with too much profanity and seediness. Still worth seeing though.

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