We've had a lot of films about cops going rogue to enforce justice so this has novelty being about judges doing it... who form their own star chamber. There's a reason it has novelty though - judges have a lot of discretion to allow things into evidence, Michael Douglas' character isn't as hamstrung as he is depicted. Or at least he shouldn't have been. It's like this film needed to be more political - emphasie there's a new progressive/left government introducing all these laws making it harder to find things admissible, sacking judges. Or maybe a super lawless state - like a few years in the future or South Africa. Or maybe it are judges being forced to pass bad laws and they have to get around it. There's a lot of potential in the concept that isn't really exploited.
The film looks terrific and is well acted. Douglas is very good - maybe not entirely well cast. In his defence he has to be passive a lot of the time.
There's a lot of smoking in the film. And too much whisper dialogue turned up.
Interesting parallels with The Firm including Hal Hollbrook as a dodgy legal mentor to a handsome young idealist. Sharon Gless' part is truly dreadful even by the standard of "wife" parts. Thing is it didn't have to be - they could have used it more. Like she was attacked once, or she's a villain character - or she's super idealistic. Just use her.
A very good chase sequence in a car park.
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