Topic: Pelican Brief

[Dragonfire]

The Pelican Brief



Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington headline and Alan J. Pakula (Presumed Innocent) directs this first-rate thriller based on the best-selling book by John Grisham.

Two Supreme Court justices have been murdered and a lone law student (Roberts) turns her suspicions about the deaths into a speculative brief that sends shock waves into the highest levels of government. She and a determined investigative reporter (Washington) want to tell the world what they have uncovered - if they live to tell it. The race is on and these two are more than runners. They're moving targets.

My Thoughts

This is probably my favorite of the movies based on Grisham books.  It is also the first one I saw.  After I first saw the movie - in the theater when it first came out - I picked up the book.  The movie stays fairly close to the book.  Things are mainly condensed a bit, though there are a few minor changes.  I do think this is a good adaptation.  Fans of the book should give the movie a chance.

The plot is interesting and there is a good amount of mystery and suspense to what is happening that helps keep the movie interesting and entertaining.  A few things that happen are more predictable, but there are also a few surprises.  There is some action in a few scenes, but the movie isn't action packed.  Some scenes do move slower, though I wasn't bored by what was going on.  The slower pace allows for things to be set up properly and some suspense and tension to build.  Several things happen, but that doesn't make the movie confusing.  The movie works as an entertaining thriller.

Darby is a good main character who is likable and interesting, though she could have been developed a bit more.  Gray is also a likable character.  Julia Roberts and Denzil Washington handle their parts well. 

For some reason, with the DVD I have, it has to be flipped over about half way through the movie.  This isn't that long of a movie, so I'm not sure why that was done.  It is annoying.  It also seems like every time I watch the movie, I put it in wrong at first and then have to stop it and flip it.

The movie has held up well and is still worth seeing, especially for fans of the cast.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone would like to take a look.

Pelican Brief

[hal9g]

I agree, this is the best of the Grisham movies.  He was one of my favorite authors.

Roberts and Washington were just excellent in this film, and it's one of the few movies based on a book that I feel really did the book justice.