Blistering performances.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) is a brilliant defense lawyer with a loving husband Tom (Jim Caviezel). They have the perfect life but then Tom is arrested accused of being Sgt. Ron Chapman who massacred villagers in 1988 El Salvadore. He is defended by inexperienced military lawyer Lieutenant Embry (Adam Scott). She is over her head in military court and gets help from Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman). Brig. Gen. Bill Marks (Bruce Davison) was the commanding officer at the time, and Tom/Ron accuses him of a frame job. And there is Claire's flaky sister Jackie (Amanda Peet) and the crazed Maj. James Hernandez (Juan Carlos Hernández). Michael Shannon has a minor role as witness Troy Abbott.It has the bones of a functional courtroom action thriller. It's nothing special. Director Carl Franklin tries but it's not his best work. Judd and Freeman are both great actors trying to do good work. It may work a lot better if there is more doubt thrown into the movie earlier about Tom/Ron's guilt. That takes away much of the drama. This makes the twist way too jarring. Then there are the attempts at their lives. For skilled killers, they don't really follow through. It piles on a little too much. It's a close call. I have to say it fails by a hair.

First and foremost, let me put my pants on...Just kidding there... Seriously though, the thing here above ALL else, to me anyway, is that this is an EXPERTLY crafted Thriller in just about every way. Yes, WITHOUT the very gifted hand of this director, then perhaps some of the complaints others have mentioned here might have some merit. But, to me, the fact that the dang film was made SO frigg'n well, kind of excuses some of the more familiar aspects of the movie.Some here have stated that the movie has many 'Cliches'; this couldn't be farther from the truth. True, the story is not hugely original, but the quality of the execution and the acting are absolutely top notch. Jim Caviezel and Morgan Freeman are outstanding. Specifically, the way that the pacing and the scenes are crafted and put together, and the performances the director evoked from the actors are extremely well done. The story is gripping and fully engrossing. The Thriller and legal aspects of it are also most involving.Now, with that said... There is just ONE rather weighty detraction... BUT... and it is a very BIG BUT like Mariah Carey's... In my lowly and wretched opinion, I do not think that it ultimate takes away from the fact that WHILE you are watching the film, your belief is fully suspended and you are completely involved. Also, it doesn't take away from the expert way the film is put together and crafted and the way it is handled; that is pure art. However... and I am NOT gonna be specific here because I do NOT want to take away anything at all from your enjoyment of the film. I will just simply say that it has something to do with when the film is over... That is all I will say...One of the better crafted Thrillers that I have seen in quite a while; I remember when I very first saw it, that I didn't particularly like it. BUT... the main reason for this was that I didn't initially care for the ending (which I allude to above). However, I must say that now, several years later, I MUCH more appreciate the outstanding quality of the film and it's execution in and of itself. And, I now feel that that fact alone greatly outweighs my original reasons for not liking it. Sometimes a movie is made SO dang well, that even after it is over and you may question some of the specific developments in the story, you still come away feeling that it was a good and entertaining film...

I have learned two things watching this movie: 1) If you are fan, focus on the prime and not the beginnings unless you only see the star you support as supportive cast at best if it isn't just in background: As an Amanda's fan, this movie belongs to her beginnings so we don't see her a lot. But she is perfect as the liberal, inhibited young sister.2) America has an extrovert relationship with violence, thus with military that is its legalized form. So she can do movies about wars (Vietnam, Gulf, Cold-war) or the military world (this one for example). In France, all those things are kept hidden under the rug and french citizen are forbidden to watch movies about decolonization, Indochine, Algeria, ... This is the real trademark of my country: no movies on politics, institutions. The facts aren't distributed by movies in France thus it's hard to have an opinion in my country and I don't really think we can call us a true democracy.That's why a movie like this is like a breath of fresh air, above it depicts the "the big mute" (the nickname of the army in France) as well indeed a big mute... However, if the cast is talented and we feel a good chemistry between Jude and Freeman, the movie doesn't really kick-ass. Maybe it's because the classified crimes is a bit too faraway. By the way, for a movie about soldiers,there are paradoxically a lot of cries!

This film is highly predictable. As soon as the husband of the the main character (Claire Kubik, portrayed by Ashley Judd)is accused of murder and claims certain military personal are conspiring against him, I was pretty sure where the film was going. All leads pointed to the the husbands innocence, however, it was a no brainer that things wouldn't be that simple and Mrs Kubik's lover would sooner or late be revealed as the bad guy that he really was/is.So, apart from it being really predictable as to what came next in the movie, the film itself isn't too bad. The dialogues not too shabby either, and the acting all round is pretty acceptable for me. So not one to really write home about, but watchable/fairly enjoyable nonetheless. 4/10 or 2*.