DramaThrillerRomance

Criminal Law

Ben Chase is an on-the-rise Boston attorney currently defending a wealthy client in a high-profile murder case. Martin Thiel is the wealthy young man on trial for a particularly brutal murder. The verdict sets Thiel free. Within 24 hours another grizzly and all-too-familiar murder has taken place with striking similarities to the first crime. Chase inexplicably agrees to act as his defense attorney; but this time it will be to gather evidence that will put away his client for good.

Release Date : 1989-04-28

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Hemdale Film CorporationNorthwood Productions

Production Country : Canada

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ben Chase

Original Name : Gary Oldman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Martin Thiel

Original Name : Kevin Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Stillwell

Original Name : Tess Harper

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ellen Faulkner

Original Name : Karen Young

Gender : Female

Character Name : Detective Mesel

Original Name : Joe Don Baker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jacob Fischer

Original Name : Sean McCann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gary Hull

Original Name : Ron Lea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor Clemens

Original Name : Michael Sinelnikoff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Claudia Curwen

Original Name : Karen Woolridge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Isabel Fuertes

Original Name : Ali Giron

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ethan Parks

Original Name : Rob Roy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : Terrence Labrosse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sandra Massina

Original Name : Barbara Jones

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Monroe

Original Name : Jeannie Walker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jackson

Original Name : Tyrone Benskin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hal Keeler

Original Name : Johnny Cuthbert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thiel Nurse

Original Name : Claire Rodger

Gender : Female

Character Name : Grade Teacher

Original Name : Rebecca Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Janet

Original Name : Tracy Ray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newscaster

Original Name : Bill Haughland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newscaster

Original Name : Howard Schwartz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newscaster

Original Name : Mitzumi Takahashi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Law Secretary

Original Name : Carolyn Davine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frowning Woman

Original Name : Ilana Linden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cop Tony

Original Name : Andrew Johnston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clinic Receptionist

Original Name : Anna MacCormack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Librarian Peggy

Original Name : Irene Kessler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : James Rae

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : David Gow

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Susan Glover

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Richard Jutras

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Aidan Devine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Robert Parson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Sam Le Marquand

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Lois Dellar

Gender : Female

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Linda Rona

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reporter

Original Name : Mike Bucci

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Thiel

Original Name : Elizabeth Shepherd

Gender : Female

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Boston based neo-noir fails to ignite. Criminal Law is directed by Martin Campbell and written by Mark Kasdan. It stars Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Tess Harper, Karen Young and Joe Don Baker. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Philip Meheux. Boston attorney Ben Chase (Oldman) successfully defends Martin Thiel (Bacon) who is on trial for a sexually aggravated murder. But not long after Chase comes to realise Thiel's guilt and sets about correcting the wrong he helped orchestrate. If you have never seen a legal thriller before, or a serial killer based neo-noir for that matter, then Criminal Law might just poke its head above average waters. Unfortunately the well is quite full of such filmic exercises, and much better they are too! It's all so formulaic, where the potent promise of character disintegration into a hellish noir infused world is never fully realised. Instead we get characters whose actions are at times baffling, others who are under used or pointless scene fillers, and a screenplay cracking under the strain of a near two hour run time. Add in some poor accents for the setting, one of Goldsmith's worst scores and a damp squib finale, well you are struggling continually to get on board with it all. There's a high energy sex scene where the makers are clearly showing what their intentions were, in how stuck in a web of turmoil Chase is, but it just proves how muddled and rickety the narrative is. Positives come in the form of the visual look of the piece, Meheux (GoldenEye/Casino Royale) showing some nice stylish touches, most notably a dark underground set of scenes where slatted shadows operate as the noir staple of a character psychologically imprisoned, but these moments are fleeting and the story begs for more. Elsewhere, the killer's motives are at least interesting, adding in a controversial moral poser, and Elizabeth Shepherd as Thiel's mother is superbly cold and detached (pic needed more of her). But ultimately it's a disappointing film and not recommended as a must see. 5/10