Jagged Edge Reviews

No cutting edge, but does keep you guessing. It's one of the oldest of Hollywood chestnuts--a socialite is murdered, her husband is suspected by a crafty district attorney, and the female lawyer who defends the accused falls in love with her client--but it still works thanks to Richard Marquand's adroit direction and a tightly knit screenplay from Joe Eszterhas. Jeff Bridges is one of the beautiful people--possessor of money, luxury, looks and power. When his wife is savagely murdered by an assailant with a jagged-edged knife, Peter Coyote, a tough, sleazy DA, refuses to believe Bridges' innocence. One person who does believe the accused is Glenn Close, a disillusioned lawyer who is sick of Coyote's methods and decides to defend Bridges, falling in love with him in the process. This film's ending received a great deal of discussion because it purposely obscures the killer's identity, leaving the exiting audience with an uneasy feeling of doubt. It's slick, romantic, funny (Close has a great rapport with her beer-guzzling, foul-mouthed mentor, Robert Loggia), intriguing, and filled with excellent performances.