Reasonable Doubt (2014)

Fantastic!

Best movie ever!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Blistering performances.

Although the core premise of "Reasonable Doubt" has been done in various ways over the years, it still could have worked with enough good writing that threw in some well executed twists. However, the story as it is does not manage to engage the viewer that much. In a movie like this, you really need to feel the screws slowly tightening on the main character. But for over two-thirds of the movie, the main character does not seem to be under a lot of pressure, almost treating his situation as it was a minor inconvenience. Even when things eventually start to turn bad for the character, actor Dominic Cooper is so underwhelming that you don't care one way or another. The script is quite bad at times, having some plot twists that are kind of hard to swallow, and also having a story that's so thin that there are over 10 minutes of closing credits to try and pad out the movie to a normal running time. The ending of the movie, where it's very unclear of the eventual fate of Cooper's character, is the icing on the cake. The movie has professional production values, so at least it's nice to look at, at least if you are not driven asleep by the slow and passionless story. It's no surprise that Telefilm Canada (the nation's main feature film funding agency) backed this film, since they have traditionally made poor choices as to film projects to fund.

This is another one of those rare thrillers that slipped through the cracks, and for good reason, the plot is horrible and too upsetting, to base a movie plot off of someone leaving another person to die alone in the middle of the street is vile, it's an awful basis for a story line, the writers, director, actors e.c.t must have lost their minds to want to make and participate in a movie that is so inhumane, regardless if the guy left for dead is a bad guy it's just more and more evil piling on top of each other and it doesn't stop, this is not a decent thriller, the dreadful plot outweighs any good acting this flick has, thrillers can be dark - but not this dark because they just become non-enjoyable, i recommend another film that has a similar title but has a completely different plot "Beyond A Reasonable Doubt" remake.

The three main characters are a serial murderer, a corrupt DA and the DA's paroled unofficial step brother who's also become a perjurer to help the corrupt DA in his pursuit for "justice." What's not to like?Pretty much everything. The plot is preposterous with the DA embarking essentially on a life of crime. Of course the courtroom scenes take place only moments after the crime occurs. Basically, you get arrested and the next day you are in court, before a jury, being tried for that crime. Yeah. That's how it always happens. (The baby in the film, played by a lifeless doll, never ages.) Setting aside the courtroom scenes, the DA goes from drunk driving and felony hit and run to breaking and entering on at least two occasions. One of them being the least guarded police facility in the known universe. Yeah, believable. And what was the DA going to do with the evidence he illegally uncovered at the serial murderer's place? But there was a full time cinematographer so that must be good, right? Nope. The film was shot in bleak Winnipeg, which is supposed to be a stand in for Chicago. That doesn't work either.Two reasons why you won't want to waste your time. First, I read that the film sat in the can for 2 years while the producers tried to figure out how to release it. Was it released so that the investors wouldn't sue them? I don't know. Second, the director was so proud of this film that he made sure his name wasn't used in the 11 minute credit roll. Well, at least the director wasn't Alan Smithee and the star of the film George Spelvin.

In spite of the negative reviews, I decided to buy this movie as I am a great admirer of Samuel L. Jackson. I was deeply disappointed. The scenes are all so dark that you cannot even see his face, the D.A. is unappealing and, all considered, you are not swept in the plot. Yet, the story might have been presented beautifully.