Crime · Drama · Thriller
American
1996 · Directed by Gregory Hoblit · 130 min
Martin Vail is a Chicago defense lawyer who likes the spotlight and takes cases for the publicity. He volunteers to defend a young altar boy found near the body of a powerful archbishop. The film is a polished, slow-building courtroom thriller about guilt and appearances.
Why it matters in cinema history
A well-known late example of the Hollywood courtroom thriller, and the film that introduced Edward Norton to a wide audience at the point when the 1990s legal-thriller cycle was at its height.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a film about performance: lawyers, clients, witnesses and the press all present versions of themselves.
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