Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Starring Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, and Michael Douglas
Directed by Peter Hyams
Starring Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, and Michael Douglas
Directed by Peter Hyams
Oh, man...Michael Douglas...who was blackmailing you to be a part of this flick? Were this movie made-for-tv, I might've had a different take on it. But as a theatrical release (albeit a small one last year), this is a joke.
A remake of a 1950s movie, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt has a decent premise -- C.J., a young hotshot tv news reporter (Jesse Metcalfe), has a suspicion that a Louisiana district attorney (Michael Douglas) is planting DNA evidence in order to win cases. With the D.A. running for governor, C.J. decides to expose the guy. C.J., in a deluded attempt to earn a Pulitzer Prize (which is seriously mentioned a dozen times), decides to set himself up, stating that he committed a murder -- once he's in jail and the D.A. begins to prosecute him with planted DNA evidence, he'll expose the corrupt guy and wreck his career.
Yes, the plot is certainly ridiculous, but in better hands, the movie might have been a success. In its current incarnation, director Peter Hyams has crafted a horrible film. Full of heinously staged montages (some of which I'll title "falling in love" or "planting the evidence" or "getting arrested") set to the worst musical score I've heard in a 2009 movie, the film never gains its footing. It's never suspenseful and everything was utterly predictable -- everything except for the laughable and out-of-the-blue "twist" ending that made me roll my eyes.
Michael Douglas is really the only thing that saves this thing from complete failure. He's good, but his role is actually fairly minor. Jesse Metcalfe is completely bland and one-note as the hotshot reporter. Amber Tamblyn fares a little better as C.J.'s girlfriend, who also happens to be the innocent and oblivious assistant D.A.
Ugh.
A remake of a 1950s movie, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt has a decent premise -- C.J., a young hotshot tv news reporter (Jesse Metcalfe), has a suspicion that a Louisiana district attorney (Michael Douglas) is planting DNA evidence in order to win cases. With the D.A. running for governor, C.J. decides to expose the guy. C.J., in a deluded attempt to earn a Pulitzer Prize (which is seriously mentioned a dozen times), decides to set himself up, stating that he committed a murder -- once he's in jail and the D.A. begins to prosecute him with planted DNA evidence, he'll expose the corrupt guy and wreck his career.
Yes, the plot is certainly ridiculous, but in better hands, the movie might have been a success. In its current incarnation, director Peter Hyams has crafted a horrible film. Full of heinously staged montages (some of which I'll title "falling in love" or "planting the evidence" or "getting arrested") set to the worst musical score I've heard in a 2009 movie, the film never gains its footing. It's never suspenseful and everything was utterly predictable -- everything except for the laughable and out-of-the-blue "twist" ending that made me roll my eyes.
Michael Douglas is really the only thing that saves this thing from complete failure. He's good, but his role is actually fairly minor. Jesse Metcalfe is completely bland and one-note as the hotshot reporter. Amber Tamblyn fares a little better as C.J.'s girlfriend, who also happens to be the innocent and oblivious assistant D.A.
Ugh.
The RyMickey Rating: D-
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