From the Hip

Don't listen to the negative reviews or nay sayers. Decide for yourself the way we did. Judd Nelson is terrific in this entertaining movie. There should've have been a sequel but unfortunately just like many other terrific movies the studio didn't market this movie AT ALL. From opening to the end you're interested in the story and colorful well written characters. Trust me -- it's a truly entertaining movie in the tradition of all of the other brat pack movies. The script is clever and the pacing swift. The movie keeps you involved and the actors never miss a beat. Nelson and Perkins have chemistry and let's hope they do another movie some day.

Once again we are reminded of the waste of a fantastic actor, and question why it was that Judd Nelson faded so quickly into TV limbo-land. In 'From the Hip' he might as well be playing John Bender, 5 years on from his Saturday morning detention in 'The Breakfast Club'. All the Bender traits are there - the showcasing, the cunning, the witty comments, and the lovable rogue charm. An excellent supporting cast keep the pace going, with John Hurt turning in one of his finest performances. The only problem I had with this movie is that it doesn't know whether it wants to be a comedy or a grizzly murder mystery. Despite that, it is a shame that this is one of those movies that not a great deal of people even know exists. I do admit I'm a big Judd Nelson fan (only please don't ever mention 'Blindfold - Acts of Obsession'!) so maybe I'm biased regarding the quality of this film, although I think there is something here that will appeal to everybody, right down to an obligatory romance (though i found it strange that although Robin's girlfriend tells him she loves him on 4 separate occasions, never once does he utter the words back to her).Know what? I should really get out more! EXCELSIOR.

What should an attorney do when defending a client they know is guilty? From the hip deals with this legal dilemma in a very amusing format. Judd Nelson is hilarious as an irreverent attorney who gets results. I thought this film was hilarious. Why people, thought this was a "mongrel of a film", makes me wonder, again, if they were actually awake when reviewing this film. Lighten up. I give this film three out of four stars.

A funny, insightful script that is treated a bit too lightly by the principals. No one looks like they're taking the story seriously except John Hurt, whose performance towers above everyone else's (it's too bad he only occupies the screen for 20 or so minutes). There are the odd moments of idiocy, and the entire effect is like an above average episode of a television law drama.

My favorite scene is where Judd Nelson crouches behind a table full of classic literature, tossing out books at the judge. Sometimes, Nelson doesn't quite know what his character is doing, but he manages to entertain and keep the focus on him.

But the first half of the movie is farce and the second half (Hurt's story) is serious drama. At one point this is signaled by Dan Monahan, who says, "This isn't fun anymore." There are some good gags throughout and the drama could hold its own if the first part of the movie weren't so long. It could have been shortened considerably to make the John Hurt story longer and more effective. I enjoyed watching this movie and would recommend it to anyone who likes television law type shows.

FROM THE HIP is the story of a young defense lawyer (Nelson) trying his first case, a simple assault. He grandstands, wins the case, makes headlines and is immediately handed a capital murder case to defend. How he handles that case is what the movie is about. He is defending John Hurt in the vicious slayings of two people whose bodies have never been found. Nelson is in way over his head, and knows it. He also is not convinced of Hurt's innocence. In real life, this wouldn't matter, but since this is a movie, he comes down with a bad case of conscience. Elizabeth Perkins is aboard as Nelson's loyal girlfriend and several veteran actors including Darren McGavin, Ray Walston and Nancy Marchand show up to further the story. But HIP is really all about Judd Nelson's brash and rash young lawyer, which allows one to overlook some obvious plot holes and bizarre courtroom antics. At times, Nelson may remind you of Robert Downey Jr.