The Firm (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Young lawyer, Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), has just graduated in the Top 5 of his class at Harvard Law School. With his record, there are, understandably, plenty of firms interested in hiring him. Offers pour in from big places, but it's actually a small, prestigious firm from Memphis, Tennessee that offers the most, & snatches him up. Bendini, Lambert, & Locke make the terms of his joining so enticing that the deal is just about impossible to turn down (including a $100,000 salary, low-interest mortgage, Mercedes Benz, & repayment of college loans).
Initially, Mitch & his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorne), are elated, & are quick to celebrate their recent luck (career, $$, gifts, house, etc.); but it doesn't take long for bad luck to enter their lives. 2 associates of his new firm die under suspicious circumstances. And soon, Mitch starts to wonder what sinister secrets lie behind the thick locked doors of Bendini, Lambert, & Locke. The FBI contact him; asking for info about possible Mafia connections. They give Mitch a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the (seemingly) corrupt firm. Either way, the wonderful life Mitch has recently walked into will end. Which option will he choose? Or ... will he go about things his own way?
'The Firm' (directed by Sydney Pollack) is a very entertaining, well crafted, well acted, if lonnggg courtroom melodrama. But as I said: well crafted. It's a polished movie; one that you go to the movies for, & walk out satisfied. It's also commercial; based on a best-selling novel, & starring a plethora of well-known actors. You know, the source material for this film is exceptional. I haven't read it, but 'The Firm' is an apparently excellent novel. That doesn't mean a movie 'based on' said novel would be a success. Rest assured, I think it serves the novel well. Is the script perfect? Ahh, no. Some scenes are too short/disjointed. Some plot points aren't developed as well as they should be. That said, some parts are, perhaps, too detailed/developed; making for the bloated 2 hour & 35 minute run time.
The performances bring the level of the move up quite a bit. Tom Cruise has an appeal. And I think he is a very good actor. Playing a company man suits him well. He's dynamic, & brings emotion to the role that he hasn't always had (in the past). So he brings his A game, here. Also bringing their A games are Ed Harris, Wilford Brimley, & particularly Gene Hackman - as the ambiguous Avery Tolar. Overall, this is a fine movie, with a decent script, & great performances. It may not be as suspenseful (due to the run time) or thematically dark as it could be. And I wish the pacing was more streamlined (cutting back on some plot incident). While watching 'The Firm', you may be enjoying it VERY much, yet eager for an intermission or two.
Initially, Mitch & his wife, Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorne), are elated, & are quick to celebrate their recent luck (career, $$, gifts, house, etc.); but it doesn't take long for bad luck to enter their lives. 2 associates of his new firm die under suspicious circumstances. And soon, Mitch starts to wonder what sinister secrets lie behind the thick locked doors of Bendini, Lambert, & Locke. The FBI contact him; asking for info about possible Mafia connections. They give Mitch a choice - work with the FBI, or stay with the (seemingly) corrupt firm. Either way, the wonderful life Mitch has recently walked into will end. Which option will he choose? Or ... will he go about things his own way?
'The Firm' (directed by Sydney Pollack) is a very entertaining, well crafted, well acted, if lonnggg courtroom melodrama. But as I said: well crafted. It's a polished movie; one that you go to the movies for, & walk out satisfied. It's also commercial; based on a best-selling novel, & starring a plethora of well-known actors. You know, the source material for this film is exceptional. I haven't read it, but 'The Firm' is an apparently excellent novel. That doesn't mean a movie 'based on' said novel would be a success. Rest assured, I think it serves the novel well. Is the script perfect? Ahh, no. Some scenes are too short/disjointed. Some plot points aren't developed as well as they should be. That said, some parts are, perhaps, too detailed/developed; making for the bloated 2 hour & 35 minute run time.
The performances bring the level of the move up quite a bit. Tom Cruise has an appeal. And I think he is a very good actor. Playing a company man suits him well. He's dynamic, & brings emotion to the role that he hasn't always had (in the past). So he brings his A game, here. Also bringing their A games are Ed Harris, Wilford Brimley, & particularly Gene Hackman - as the ambiguous Avery Tolar. Overall, this is a fine movie, with a decent script, & great performances. It may not be as suspenseful (due to the run time) or thematically dark as it could be. And I wish the pacing was more streamlined (cutting back on some plot incident). While watching 'The Firm', you may be enjoying it VERY much, yet eager for an intermission or two.