The Trials of Cate McCall

I think nowadays there's a shortage of these kind of movies, the last good one was The Lincoln Lawyer (which is quite similar to this one). It's the same recipe again: let's add a little personal drama (Cate could lose her daughter due to her alcoholism), an almost impossible case (female murderer from death row appeals, and Cate gets to defend her), an old case, where the character made the wrong decision, and the courtroom drama is ready.

But I think, this movie is using these "clichés" very well to create a good story. The main character has motivations, inner conflicts, and these are very well correlating with the main storyline and the whole message of the story. It's not something I should praise, but frankly, most movies are lacking this.

Anyway, the courtroom case is interesting, both the mood and the pace of the movie are satisfying, so I think it's quite enjoyable and also makes you think. And last, but not least, Kate Beckinsale convinced me, that she's not a bad actress, she just needs a good character to play.

If you liked Fracture or The Lincoln Lawyer, this one is for you.

Kate is playing her character really great. And even Nick Nolte has more than one moment to shine (you feel the gravitas he's bringing to the movie). Other than that, the movie/plot may be predictable for some (maybe many), but it's the way it's played out that really works. Be it the characters with all their flaws and the story with its turns every now and again.

Being a lawyer can be pretending, it's also about winning, no matter what. If you backtrack on that, what would that mean. The justice system is not perfect and everything else might not matter anymore. Like personal life. The drama outside the courtroom is as suspenseful as the one unfolding inside of it.

Once again Kate Beckinsale plays a solid, fully realized protagonist in yet another uneven but intriguing film. The Trials Of Cate McCall is an episodic courtroom drama in where the cases which defence attorney Beckinsale works kind of take a backseat to, and even reflect the issues she faces in her personal life. She's been disbarred from practising law some time ago, also losing the custody of her daughter. With the help of her ex lawyer father (a crusty, scene stealing Nick Nolte), she begins the long road to personal and professional redemption, starting with a tricky case involving the alleged violent sexual assault of a wayward girl (a deft, unsettling Ana Schafer). Sounds great, right? Unfortunately not. It's certainly interesting, but it squander valuable time on scenes which should be brisk and tightly wound, providing bloated segments where there could be high drama. When it's solid it's solid though, especially with Beckinsale's work. Supporting turns include James Cromwell as a not so honest judge, Clancy Brown as a stern D.A., Mark Pellegrino as a crass detective implicated in the heinous crime, and other work from Dale Dickey, Isiah Washington and Kathy Baker. Despite its inconsistencies, it manages to hold interest through selected performances that are marvellous, and some perfectly timed third act plot turns that sheds new light on everything that came before it. As far as courtroom flicks go, you can do both a lot better and a lot worse in checking this one out.

I thought this film was fairly engrossing and intriguing, but was marred somewhat by contrivances and some non-believable plot elements.

Kate Beckinsale is quite captivating as Cate McCall, once a hot-shot and high priced attorney, but who has now been put on probation for alcohol and drug abuse. Part of her probation requires her to attend AA meetings, while another part calls for her to work pro bono for a Legal Aid type organization.

She's given the appeals case of a young woman convicted of first degree murder and serving a life without parole sentence. Cate soon begins to unravel evidence that may show that her client was framed and may indeed be innocent.

As the movie title suggests, Cate's trials are not all in the courtroom as she's struggling to gain sobriety from her addictions, as well as attempting to prevent her estranged husband from taking their young daughter to Seattle, for his new job. Additionally, a man she may have over zealously prosecuted, when she was with the DA's office years before, and who has recently be released from jail and declared innocent (after DNA testing), may be trying to stalk her.

The supporting cast is very strong here, with the great veteran actor Nick Nolte portraying Bridges, himself a defense attorney in recovery and helping Cate as her AA sponsor. Another terrific veteran actor James Cromwell plays Federal judge Jason Sumpter, whose bent for womanizing appears to be affecting his judicial decisions. Finally, Anna Anissimova is chilling and effective as Lacey Stubbs, the woman whose murder appeals' case is being handled by Cate.

I might mention there is no on screen showing of violence or sex here, but there is graphic and explicit testimony describing the above that is read during the movie.

Overall this film written and directed by Karen Moncrieff (The Dead Girl, Blue Car), as mentioned, was marred somewhat by nonsensical plot elements, but I still remained engaged throughout, and I would say it is worth a watch.

Review: I really enjoyed this intense courtroom drama about a top lawyer who takes on a case to try and free a girl from jail after being sentenced to life for murder. Although the evidence against the accused is full of lies and deceit, there still lies the question about the girls true innocence. I liked the different twists and turns throughout the movie and the performances made the movie intense and emotional. You really don't know what direction this movie is going to take because the lawyer is also a recovering alcoholic who is fighting to get custody of her little girl. When everything becomes a bit too much for the stressed out lawyer, she turns to Nick Note for guidance, who was a great choice by the director. Anyway, I didn't lose my interest throughout the movie because it's not predictable and it doesn't seem to drag, so I can honestly say that it's worth a watch. Enjoyable!

Round-Up: It's weird watching Kate Beckinsale in a straight role after watching her shooting zombies and kicking butt in the Underworld franchise. She has starred in many top movies like The Aviator, Pearl Harbor and Total Recall but she still seems to stay under the Hollywood radar. Nick Nolte has also been out of the spotlight lately, which is a shame because I always rated him as an actor. Anyway, the whole cast performed well in this intense drama, but it didn't seem to have got a major release so it's another one of those films that will be under rated.

Budget: $7million Worldwide Gross: N/A

I recommend this movie to people who are into there intense courtroom dramas about a big time lawyer who has some serious personal issues but she still takes on a case to try and save a girl from her life sentence for murder. 6/10