Directed by:
Joel SchumacherScreenplay:
Akiva GoldsmanCinematography:
Peter Menzies Jr.Composer:
Elliot GoldenthalCast:
Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt, Charles S. Dutton, Brenda Fricker, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland (more)VOD (1)
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Amid a frenzy of activist marches, Klan terror, media clamor and brutal riots, an unseasoned but idealistic young attorney mounts a stirring courtroom battle for justice. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
This time it's best to start from the end. The final and supposedly gripping and authentic speech by Matthew McConaughey left me completely indifferent. It's brutally implausible and it won’t make you transform into a gullible jury member, so unless you want to feel it at all cost, you won't feel anything. The chemistry between the young lawyer and the ambitious student is great and they complement each other well, Kevin Spacey delivers excellent wisecracks and the permanently “sozzled” Donald Sutherland plays a role that is not often seen. And we must not forget the main antagonist, whose revenge was much more believable than those legal entanglements. However, the biggest driving force remains the initial brutal act and the subsequent chaos in the bar.
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This film is also a top film, a gem of the genre confirming the rule that the nineties dominated thrillers at the highest possible level. The cast alone is Oscar-worthy: Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland. Of course the McConaughey vs Spacey duel shines the most, because these two shine like crystal in the courtroom. This is what I call a perfect and audacious acting performance, and during Matthew's final speech I cried for a constant five minutes with everyone involved in the courtroom, I've never seen such an emotionally and intelligently charged speech in my life, and anyone who doesn't shed a tear during it is not human. A perfect film in every way. 100%.
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A traditional southern Grisham film based on the 1988 novel of the same name. The film is a riveting courtroom drama with many pressing themes that are conveyed with equal verve in both mediums. Of the performances, Matthew McConaughey towers above all, especially in the final speech. Samuel L. Jackson is also great, but Sandra Bullock is just a poster attraction - her role is relatively small and just completes the all-star team.
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Joel Schumacher is a master of either strongly conflicting dramas or absolutely strange fantasies and anything else that is... weird. This means that one day, he shoots an absolutely amazing movie based on real-life events, but once he gets to a rather improbable and often fantastic story, he’s hopeless. Luckily, A Time To Kill is the first one of the two. What’s more, it’s based on a book, so it really can grab your attention for its lengthy 149 minutes. But that’s not only thanks to the director; Matthew McConaughey usurped a substantial part of the movie for himself. You could even say that it is literally his movie – even despite the fact that it’s basically his very first lead role that dazzled Hollywood. Hats off! I kind of feel like lawyer roles in movies predominantly about black people and racism somehow befit him. It’s not just a coincidence, right?
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It's a good movie with a strong case and great acting performances, although I still don't understand how it's possible to kill two people and walk out of the courtroom as innocent, or rather without punishment. It rather made me reflect on the concept of justice, at least in the American system, where it's not about justice per se, but simply about the case, about popularity, about reputation... I don't know... just anything but justice. How are we supposed to understand it?
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