Shadow of Doubt (1998)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers (WGA):

Myra Byanka (written by) and
Raymond De Felitta (written by)

Release Date:

9 April 1998 (Singapore)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In a world of lies, nothing is more dangerous than the Truth.

Plot:

After the daughter of a prominent businessman is brutally murdered, high profile defense attorney Kitt Devereux takes the case of the accused murderer...

Plot Keywords:

Attorney | Political Scandal | Politics | Nude Woman Murdered | Female Lawyer

Cast

Melanie Griffith	...	Kitt Devereux
Tom Berenger	...	Jack Campioni
Craig Sheffer	...	Laird Atkins
Huey Lewis	...	Al Gordon
Wade Dominguez	...	Bobby Medina
James Morrison	...	Paul Saxon
Lisa Pelikan	...	Leslie Saxon
Nina Foch	...	Sylvia Saxon
Tony Plana	...	Detective Krause
Victor Love	...	Detective Baker
Richard Portnow	...	Marvin Helm
Kimberley Kates	...	Bridget Paul
Danielle Nicolet	...	Cheryl
James Karen	...	Norman Calloway
Greg Callahan	...	Judge Nathan

Also Known As:

Reasonable Doubt

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Spain:18 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:R(A) | USA:R | UK:15 | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Largo Entertainment

Quotes:

Jack Campioni: If you can't be best, be first. And if you can't be first, be best.

Watchable, but too contrived.

Not every actor was meant to play every role. Richard Gere, for example, was ideal as a high-profile, hotshot lawyer in "Primal Fear"; Melanie Griffith plays the female version of more or less the exact same role here, and she makes a valiant try, but the result is just posing, not acting. The film is watchable, thanks mostly to good direction by Randal Kleiser, who gives it the look and feel of a picture destined for theatrical release, even though it barely got any. But it is weakly plotted, and relies on all sorts of contrivances to move along (criminals who are carelessly spilling their guts out about crimes they committed, etc.). And what's worse, it doesn't play fair with the audience; the resolution is based on clues we had no way of knowing about. At least Tom Berenger proves that he is still a dependable actor. (**)