Conference bookie::movies

  Earlier this week I went to the Boston area preview of the Pelican Brief. It
was kind of fun because most of the major Boston area critics were there
including Joyce Kilhawick from Ch 4 (NBC) and Sarah Edwards from Ch 5(ABC).
Other VIPs were there as well including Waynn Budd, the U.S. States Attorney
for Massachusetts. 

  As for the movie, it was ok but not great. It was basically a 2 hour action
suspense story dragged out to 2.5 hours. It could use some editing. Also the
premise seems a little far out flirting with ideas from the paranoid camp that
"THEY" control or at least strongly influence the government. The methods
employed by the antagonist did not seem at all realistic but it made for good
action/adventure.

  Julia Roberts and Danzell Washington did good enough jobs in their roles that
don't really call for much in the way of acting. They do a fine job of running
through underground garages, opening safe deposit boxes, talking on the phone,
sitting in chairs looking pensive, etc. The story doesn't call for a lot of
character development. 

  Sam Sheapard and John Hurt are fine in smaller roles and Robert Culp makes a
good "out of touch" President fumbling through his job. In spite of the long
film, it is difficult to keep track of all the President's aids, FBI agents,
CIA agents etc who are almost all neatly trimmed 35ish guys in dark suits. 

  Basically a good fun story with a number of holes. See it in the movies if
you get a chance but don't risk driving through bad weather or missing out on
something else you might want to do. Definitely see it on tape if you miss it
on the big screen. 

  ***,
  George 

    I went to see this movie on Monday after having read the book quite a
    while ago.
    
    All I can say is that it looks like the movie makers learned their
    lesson with "The Firm" (as in, don't change anything!).  Whether you've
    read the book or not, this is a definite must see (It follows the book
    VERY well!).
    
    
    Holly
    

    
    It was a bit overlong, and there were a couple of places where what was
    meant to look like fortunate chance instead looked extremely contrived. 
    Also, I thought a fair number of the subordinate characters were so
    badly characterized it was difficult to tell who they were. 
    Admittedly, a movie like this is supposed to have a certain number of
    shadowy faces and unknowns, but it was a little too murky on certain
    points.
    
    A quality production, in any case.  If you like thrillers and movies
    about people on the run, this is a good choice.
    
    DFW

    Eh, it was o.k. - yup just o.k.
    
    I mentioned to my 'movie date' that this is the movie Julia was making
    when she married Lyle Lovitt....then more than half way through the
    movie Julia lifts her left hand up to her face - and there glistening
    on her left hand was a wedding band.....wasn't there before and the
    character she plays in the movie is not married....
    
    Hmmm seems that the only part of teh movie that really sticks out in my
    mind.  It all seemed to forced, I don't know can't really put my finger
    on it.  Julia did a good job of amateurishly 'going undergropund' and
    'undercover'.  And I thought Denzel did a very good job of convincing
    me he was a reporter.
    
    Unless your a Big, Big fan of Grisholm (sp), Roberts or Washington,
    wait for video.
    
    Jt

>     Unless your a Big, Big fan of Grisholm (sp), Roberts or Washington,
>     wait for video.

	I don't know who Grisholm is so I don't know if I'm a fan
	or not, but I disagree.

	This movie was MUCH better than "The Firm" (which I had loved
	the 1st 1/2 of, but turned into one of those standard boring
	Hollywood plots), IMHO :-)

    re: .4 and the ring:
    
    (spoiler warning)
    
    This scene happened right after she got the safety deposit box from the
    bank.  To get the safety deposit box, she had to pretend to be
    "Garcia"'s wife.  We assumed that she had worn the ring to be more
    convincing at the bank, and hadn't taken it off yet.
    
    If anyone sees this film again, try and notice if she is wearing the
    ring at the bank.
    
    John

    
    RE: Ring
    
    
    
    
    I read Entertainment Weekly lastnight at the Chiropractors..and it
    said that the ring was her own ring and it was a blooper.  Good
    call for the noter who picked it out.

    One thing other noters haven't stressed is the extent to which this is
    a Julia Roberts vehicle.  I haven't seen many of her other movies, but
    she didn't impress me much here.  Denzel Washington was good.  
    
    I would say this was an only slightly better than average Hollywood 
    thriller, despite the big name cast etc.
    
    -Stephen

    I finally got to see this last weekend. I like it more better than "The
    Firm", but then, I read the book in the latter, and not "The Pelican
    Brief".
    
    I agree with the too long reviews, by the time it ended, I had a
    burgeoning headache. Actually, though I don't know what I would have
    cut. There was so much action, some of the lesser characters were not
    fully explained. (Maybe I was just numb when their characters were
    finally revealed)
    
    
    Marilyn
    
    More in spoiler:
    
    
    
    
    I couln't figure out who it was that kept saving Darby, first in
    killing the hired assasin and then the woman who followed her in the 
    safe-deposit incident. They explained it at the end, but I still didn't
    understand it. Why didn't they just whisk her away, or would that have
    done away with the reason for the movie?
    
    I get so ticked off with the way Hollywood dispenses with the truth
    sometimes. Having worked in a bank years ago, I know there's no way 
    Darby could have gotten into that safe-deposit box, even if she was 
    "Garcia's real wife. Safe deposit boxes are only accessible by the 
    people who rent them,  not spouses or anyone else, except for someone
    holding a notarized power of attorney. If the spouse is deceased, then
    a certified death certificate is required, and I believe someone else
    (IRS?) must be present at the opening. This kind of ruined the movie
    for me. Grisham should know this, but maybe different states have
    different laws????
    
    
    

    OOOPS, that last should have read I liked it much better, not more
    better!
    
    
    Marilyn

RE        <<< Note 402.9 by 16913::MILLS_MA "To Thine own self be True" >>>

  Answer to spoiler:


>    I couln't figure out who it was that kept saving Darby, first in
>    killing the hired assasin and then the woman who followed her in the 
>    safe-deposit incident. 

  I believe it was a CIA agent that killed the hired assasin. He was following
them for some other reason that I forget.

  George

    > Actually, though I don't know what I would have cut.
    
    One place that could have been cut, because it was not in the book at
    all, would be ...
    <spoiler>
    
    
    ... the whole pursuit through the underground garage, including the
    woman who followed her into the safe deposit area and later shot at
    Darby. In the movie, they got to the safe deposit box without incident
    and retrieved the tape. Maybe that was why they added the scene to the
    movie... in the book, there were all these bad guys hanging around the
    city and the FBI building, trying to get at Darby, but they never get a
    chance. So you're reading along, getting really tense, afraid that
    something will happen, and -- nothing does. Maybe that wasn't good
    enough for Hollywood.
    
    On the plus side, it was nice to see that SOMEbody in the movies can't
    just pull up in front of the building they are visiting, but must use
    parking structures as do ordinary mortals.
    
    As to who did in the hired assasin to protect Darby, he was a freelance
    intelligence "agent", who worked with the FBI unofficially but didn't
    really report to them. He and his partner were the mysterious men who
    tried to interview Darby after her lover's car exploded, before the
    real police arrived.

    Re: .12
    
    About these spoilers:
    
    
    
    >As to who did in the hired assasin to protect Darby, he was a freelance
    >intelligence "agent", who worked with the FBI unofficially
    
    If you mean "Rupert," he was a contractor for the CIA.  As I recall,
    the CIA thought the brief had excited enough interest that watching
    Darby was a good idea.
    
    You'll recall the CIA had located Darby-on-the-run by her credit card
    usage.  In the book, there's a couple of places where they say they'd
    like to bring her in, but they can't just go snatching civilians off
    the street.  I have to confess, I thought that was really lame.  After
    all, if they were so concerned with rules, they wouldn't have been
    investigating this domestic matter anyway....

    Thanks for all the responses. That cleared up my confusion.
    
    
    Marilyn

    I didn't send my Columbia House card back quick enough and they sent me
    this.  What the heck, I figured, I'd watch it (rather than return the
    tape).  
    
    Like "The Firm", the movie did the story better than the book.  I'd say
    it was a couple notches better than "The Firm" (the movie) and a notch
    above "The Client" (the movie).  The leads did a good job of making the
    characters likable and not quite so insufferably wonderful as they are
    in the book.  I do agree that some of the myriad "People who are
    following the heroine" blended into one another.  
    
    Not a waste of time.
    
    *** out of ****
    
    
    kim