DOUBLE JEOPARDY RATING: 6 / 10 --> Barely recommendable
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Okay, so you've all read my plot point by plot point "prediction" before I went to see this movie (If you didn't, see the bottom of this review), which I basically compiled to bring attention to the fact that the marketing on this film, was one of the worst that I have ever seen! A trailer is supposed to entice a viewer to want to see a movie, it is not supposed to give away every single meaningful plot point! Having said that, I still went to see this film, and confirmed the fact that I would have enjoyed it much more, were I not to have seen their crummy giveaway trailer.
PLOT: Woman gets convicted of killing her husband and spends six years in jail. While in prison, this woman finds out that her husband is still alive and well, and living under an assumed name with her son. Once out of prison, this woman makes it her mission in life to find her "dead" husband and get her son back. Double jeopardy refers to the fact that one cannot be tried for the same murder twice, so in her case, she could now kill her husband and get away with it.
CRITIQUE: A "video movie" is a film which doesn't have enough oomph to recommend as a "going out of the house and to a theater night", but can suffice as a lazy evening of lounging around in the apartment. This film is exactly that type of film. It offers very little thrills for a thriller, close to zero suspense, considering that everything is already given away in the stupid-ass trailer, and a couple of bogus action scenes. It did however supply us with an Ashley Judd in her acting best, Tommy Lee Jones in his acting the same, and an extremely interesting premise, which had many women foaming at the mouth (Count Mrs. JoBlo as a guily party). Another good thing about this film was the pacing which was pretty fast. Considering that a lot of stuff actually does transpire, we are thankfully led through many of the basic scenes at a rapid pace, in order to get to the meat of the story, which basically has Judd chasing her "dead" husband.
The biggest problem with this film is that it offers very little in excitement and more importantly, very little in surprises or thrills. There were also a few plot holes here and there, which I can generally forgive in cheezy thrillers, and certain implausibilities, but all in all, they didn't really gnaw at me as much as the fact that I definitely would have enjoyed this film so much more, had I not seen Paramount's inane movie trailer. I am still recommending this film because on that level, and the level I speak of concerns cheese and lazy Sunday afternoons and videotapes, it can be deemed as an enjoyable trip through known territory. For others, you may want to see this flick because Ashley Judd is in it, and she is damn cute and a fine little actress in her own right. As for the rest of you, who don't appreciate camp, hate the Judds and hate thrillers which don't offer you many thrills, I suggest you skip this turkey and go rent another small, yet effective, Tommy Lee Jones thriller called THE FUGITIVE (8/10).
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: In reality, the legal theory of "double jeopardy" DOES NOT exist. According to Harvard Law School professor, and infamous member of O.J. Simpson legal "dream team", Alan Dershowitz, "The crime is killing a person at a certain time and place, and if she killed him at a different time or place, it would be a different crime" (Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 24, 1999). Wow...that sucks. As many of you may already know, Ashley Judd's sister and mom are the country singers known as The Judds. Ashley has also made quite a reputation of dating celebrities including actors Robert DeNiro and Matthew McConaughey, and singing has-been, Michael Bolton. Here's another fact which I think most people know by now, but if you didn't, then know full well that actor Tommy Lee Jones once roomed with Vice-President Al Gore during his College days at Harvard, and has never taken an acting class. In 1994, he co-starred with Ashley Judd in another picture called NATURAL BORN KILLERS (8/10), but unfortunately for the Judd, her court room scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Much of this film was shot in British Columbia, Canada, which may explain the presence of Canadian actor Bruce Greenwood in one of the main roles. Bruce is born in the province of Quebec, Canada. Director Bruce Beresford is born in Australia and once directed an Oscar winning picture called DRIVING MISS DAISY in 1989.
Here is my plot point by plot point prediction which I made BEFORE seeing this film, just by checking out the film's trailer.
1. Husband, Wife, Kid = happy family 2. Boating trip, husband appears to have been killed by wife 3. Wife gets nailed on murder, goes to jail 4. While in jail, finds out that husband is still alive, feels set-up 5. Gets out of jail, wanting her son back, and realizing that she can now kill her husband, because she can't be convicted twice for the same murder 6. Tommy Lee Jones, snoop extraordinaire, finds out about this and goes to stop her 7. He catches her at one point, but she floors the gas on his car on a ferry and escapes 8. After much research and woop-dee-do, Judd finds her husband's whereabouts 9. She finally explains the whole story to Jones, who now sympathizes with her plight 10. They both find the husband, and she confronts him with a gun and threatens his life, with Jones watching on. She wants her son back.
Review Date: September 25, 1999
Director: Bruce Beresford
Writers: David Weisberg and Douglas Cook
Producer: Leonard Goldberg
Actors: Ashley Judd as Elizabeth Parsons
Tommy Lee Jones as Parole Officer
Bruce Greenwood as Nick
Genre: Thriller
Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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