Today’s quick review: High Crimes. Attorney Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) has a successful career, a loving husband (Jim Caviezel), and, with any luck, a baby on the way. But her happy life is shattered when her husband Tom is arrested for a massacre he allegedly committed while serving in the military years before. Caught in the middle of a cover-up, Claire turns to Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman), a crafty but washed-up lawyer, to clear Tom’s name.
High Crimes is a thriller about a lawyer who goes to great lengths to save her husband from a military cover-up. The plot revolves around the massacre of nine innocents during a Marine operation in El Salvador, which powerful forces in the military have pinned on Tom Kubik. Claire and Charlie must overcome lies, intimidation, and violence to uncover the truth. Fast pacing, sharp twists, and a good cast make High Crimes a fun, serviceable thriller.
High Crimes moves briskly from start to finish. The movie wastes no time setting up its premise and getting to the meat of the case. The tone shifts between light and dramatic as the case plays out. Left to their own devices, Claire and Charlie are optimistic and determined characters with a good rapport. But the setbacks they face, including overt attempts to scare them off the case, lead to frequent spikes of tension throughout the movie.
Overall, High Crimes is a competently handled thriller that has plenty of twists and that rewards its characters’ ingenuity and persistence. The movie handles its tension well without tipping over into true action, and Claire and Charlie are characters worth rooting for. Still, High Crimes doesn’t shake up the genre too much, and a few subtle misplays keep it from having the full emotional impact it’s going for. Thriller fans should give it a shot.
For a similar flavor of thriller starring Ashley Judd, try Double Jeopardy. For a legal thriller with even stronger character work, try Primal Fear. For an action thriller about a military cover-up, try Jack Reacher or Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for two good leads, an interesting plot, and a balanced mix of tension and relief.