A TIME TO KILL

I’m totally in agreement with the critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes which describes this John Grisham adaptation as ‘overlong and superficial’.

149 minutes! Where to begin on what to cut?

A whole load of the KKK stuff to start with. We don’t need the attack on the husband of Matthew McConaughey’s assistant, or the ludicrous scene where Kiefer Sutherland becomes a sniper. And the kidnapping of Sandra Bullock makes for some very uncomfortable viewing.

She does of course bring her usual perkiness and charm to the role but she’s clearly been shoehorned into the film for commercial reasons. 

I found her character totally unbelievable, especially in her early scenes with McConaughey which wouldn’t have been out of place in a romcom.

Apparently Grisham vetoed the director’s first choice of Woody Harrelson for the lead role, which is a shame since I didn't much enjoy McConaughey’s performance. 

The film deals with some weighty issues regarding race and justice, but it does all seem superficial, and therefore somewhat exploitative.

Bullock and McConaughey have a potentially interesting disagreement at one point about the merits of the death penalty, but it doesn’t get mentioned again or go anywhere interesting.

It’s probably best not to dwell too much on what the message of the film might be because that might credit Grisham or the screenwriters more than they deserve. 

McConaughey’s character seems to think the death penalty is fine except for someone like his client who commits a murder he would have committed himself in the same position, and that seems to be the film’s position too.

And there are the usual courtroom tropes, but not done particularly well. For example, the inevitable moment when Sandra Bullock delivers a key bit of information to McConaughey in the courtroom at a key moment is handled in a ridiculous fashion.

It’s also a shame that a fine actor like Oliver Platt is criminally underused.

I didn’t think much of the climax. McConaughey’s summation to the jury was quite powerful but I couldn’t help feeling Judge Noose (great name) should have intervened on the grounds it was mostly irrelevant to the insanity plea the defence was resting on.

On the plus side the film is competently directed and performed, especially in the case of Samuel L Jackson, who just about holds the whole thing together.

RATING: x Find Something Better To Do