Primal Fear

Although Richard Gere has one of his juiciest roles in Primal Fear, the best performance by far is that of Edward Norton who got the film's only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a stunning debut picture. It's the kind of debut that any player would like to make and the trick is to keep up a high standard you've already set for yourself. Which Norton to his credit certainly has in his career.

But as to Gere he plays Martin Vail, a top criminal defense attorney who will let everyone know it if they haven't figured it out. It's a tricky part because a guy this arrogant has to maintain some kind of surface likability or else you'd never believe he'd ever win a case in front of a jury. As for movie viewers they must have a rooting interest for him as well. But Gere's definitely a guy who they make lawyer jokes about.

A young altar boy has murdered the archbishop of Chicago, a mush mouth kid with a Kentucky twang played by Edward Norton. He's part of a choir of street kids that the Chicago archdiocese shows off on many an occasion. It was a particularly brutal murder, multiple stabbings and the carving of a cryptic message in the chest of the deceased.

Gere makes no bones about it, he's wanting this case because of the headlines it will bring him. But when F. Lee Bailey or Johnnie Cochran offers to defend you for nothing, you don't ask questions.

Which brings us to Norton who has you might have gathered is not all he seems. He's a street kid and he's used to getting over on people himself. It's one of the darkest characters ever done on screen, maybe a bit too dark for Academy tastes. That might have been the reason that Cuba Gooding beat out Norton for Best Supporting Actor with his much lighter role in Jerry Maguire.

One in this film you will notice are Laura Linney as the Assistant District Attorney who Gere was once involved with and is getting a lot of pressure to bring in a guilty verdict for understandable political reasons. I also liked Alfre Woodard as the very patient judge at Norton's trial and Frances McDormand as the psychiatrist who examines Norton.

If you think you've figured out what's behind Primal Fear, rest assured you haven't from this description. Let's just say everyone gets good and played here.

Which brings to mind the dedication for this review. Gere's attorney character is likable, but arrogant. Back in the day I knew an attorney who was arrogant without any real reason for the arrogance. He'd love to have been Richard Gere, I'm sure he saw himself that way. So to you Ron D'Angelo this review is dedicated to.

Riveting courtroom drama, starring Richard Gere, with occasional flashes of action. New to me faces that impressed are Laura Linney and Edward Norton, both of whom give outstanding performances against the ever reliable Gere, a sometimes underated star actor.

Kept me on the edge of my chair throughout. One of the best of the courtroom genre films that I have seen.

A coherent script, well directed and edited, leaving me guessing to the end, with a really neat twist in the final stage. Excellent.

I had just gotten done seeing the movie Fight Club when a relative of mine said " If you like that movie, you'll like Primal Fear." I didn't believe him, because I had believed that Fight Club was the best movie on the face of the planet. Well, he just so happened to have a copy of Primal Fear with him. I watched it and was amazed. I was speechless.The movie has so many twists! I was convinced that it was one of the best movies I had ever seen. Gere's performance is average. I say this because it seems that in many movies he plays the same cocky character. Linney's monologue in the courtroom is mesmerizing . It was just great. And Norton? Well this may be one of his best performances ever. The fact that this was made during the starting of his acting career was unbelievable. It was a great film and Edward norton does an excellent job

this is one of the best murder mystery,psychological suspense films i have ever seen.this thing will keep you riveted and guessing right down to the end.this movie belongs to Edward Norton,who plays an alter boy accused of murdering a priest.this is an early film with Norton,in fact his first feature(big screen)film.his talent is undeniable even back then(1996).there a lot of layers to this movie and a lot going on.there are also a lot of plot twists and some red herrings(false clues)to help lead you to the wrong conclusions.Richard Gere is also in the film and he does good in his role,as does Laura Linney in her role.but like i said,this is an Edward Norton film.the success of the movie hinges on his performance.he delivers in a big way,so the film succeeds.i don't think you can go wrong with this film.i urge you to check it out.for me "Primal Fear" is a 9/10

Into big city Chicago political corruption and moral decay comes an ingeniously deceptive sociopath from nearby backwoods Kentucky who we see at the opening as an altar boy singing in an all boy church choir that's performing for the city's elite at a social fundraiser for charity. Like another Gregory Hoblit film (Fracture), you have to accept a certain amount of implausibilities. Like the murder itself, for instance, around which the film evolves. But also like Fracture, this is another (earlier) and surprisingly good take on lawyers and prosecutors (Richard Gere and Lara Linney) and the elusive perfect crime. As well, is the part played by Edward Norton. He's got that backwoods hardscrabble menace down about as well as anyone since those Georgia hillbillies in Deliverance.