Conviction (2010)
Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Peter Gallagher, and Juliette Lewis
Directed by Tony Goldwyn
In 1980 Massachusetts, a young woman is murdered and Kenny Waters (Sam Rockwell) is taken in for questioning related to the crime. While nothing happens for two years, in 1982, Kenny is arrested and convicted of the murder. Knowing in her heart that her brother is innocent, Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) decides to head to law school to get a degree to help her brother appeal the ruling. Things aren't easy for her and she finds herself having to jump over many legal hurdles, but, let's be honest here, there really wouldn't be a movie if things didn't turn out for the best.
And it's that inevitability that is part of the reason there isn't a huge emotional arc in play here. To me, director Tony Goldwyn is to blame because he fails to let the strong brother-sister bond between Betty Anne and Kenny emotionally grab the viewer. Yes, he tries, but there was nothing there to pull me in. Instead, I was watching a perfectly adequate drama that felt a little more distant than it should.
That criticism said, all of the actors here are quite good. Hilary Swank is perfectly suited for the working class, slightly rough-around-the-edges Betty Anne, and Sam Rockwell plays Kenny surprisingly tenderly with enough hints of anger to make him a possible suspect. Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's friend, Melissa Leo as the female cop attempting to make a name for herself with Waters' case, and Juliette Lewis as a witness for the prosecution all make the most of their roles as well.
Conviction is certainly a decent drama and one that was worth watching. It's just that it could have been better had the director somehow created a more emotionally charged relationship between all parties involved.
The RyMickey Rating: B-
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