Criminal Law Reviews

CRIMINAL LAW covers essentially the same territory as Norman Jewison's ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, telling the story of a defense attorney who must come to terms with the realities and responsibilities of his job. Gary Oldman plays Ben Chase, an affluent, self-satisfied criminal lawyer who gains acquittal for Martin Thiel (Kevin Bacon) in a murder trial, then comes to believe that his client is guilty not just of that crime but of a more recent murder. After consulting with police detectives Mesel (Joe Don Baker) and Stillwell (Tess Harper), Ben devises a plan to prove Martin's guilt, beginning a bizarre relationship in which the psychotic Martin tests the limits of the attorney's will power. Loaded with cliches, CRIMINAL LAW can be nit-picked to death--faulted for its frequently weak dialog and characters that are unexplained or unnecessary--still, the film is an undeniably entertaining thriller. Although director Martin Campbell handles the suspense sequences in a disappointing go-for-the-throat style, he gets astounding performances from Oldman as the smug attorney (the film work's best when he's center stage) and Bacon, who makes a surprisingly convincing psycho.