Shadow of Doubt (1998)
An attorney uncovers a political conspiracy in the brutal killing of a wealthy young woman.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
To me, this movie is perfection.
How sad is this?
Great Film overall
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
This movie had the ingredients for making it a good law thriller. The writers did manage to create a suspenseful atmosphere despite the laughable performance by Griffith (whose dialogue was even more boring than usual) and Berenger (who gives a no-hitter acting). But then, as it usually happens in bad thriller, after the bad guys have apparently won and thoroughly outsmarted the defense attorney, she get a colossal break of luck and wins the case. That is so typical of writers who run out of ideas that it is pathetic. And such a blunder of an ending puts a damper in the whole film, making it very very disappointing.
This is a decent legal suspense/thriller, if you can accept sweet little Melanie Griffiths as a kick-ass sex-crime lawyer, which she pulled off pretty well. She has to juggle returned perverts from the past with perverts from the present, and althought the plot isn't mind-boggling it's fine if you aren't expecting the world. It might be the equal of Copycat with Sigournay Weaver.
Tom Berenger really loves to surprise his audience, and in Shadow of Doubt, he once again has led us to believe he's the "still in love" DA with his former wife and attorney, Melanie Griffith. He comes across as a solid citizen and promoter of justice. Nevertheless, he underestimates Melanie's abilities as an attorney, and takes for granted that her feelings for him would protect him. It was wonderful to see Huey Lewis in this movie, and we can only hope to see more of him in the future.
A surprisingly good thriller. This mystery with conspiracy theory overtones starring Melanie Griffith and Tom Berenger is well constructed. The clues to the killer could have been a touch stronger but it's basically a "play fair" mystery with lots of red herrings to keep you guessing. Berenger, as usual, is very good as the DA opposing defense attorney Griffith, whom he used to date. Griffith is very believable as the sharp attorney often underestimated due to her looks and little girl voice. Singer Huey Lewis is a very pleasant surprise as Griffith's investigator and tech expert.