Primal Fear Details

Hotshot lawyer Richard Gere chases fame as much as justice in this enjoyably involving courtroom drama from director Gregory Hoblit, based on William Diehl's bestselling novel. But when Gere takes on the high-profile case of a bewildered altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering an archbishop, his cut-and-dried life begins to unravel. Having squared up to a state prosecutor (Laura Linney) who just happens to be his ex-girlfriend, Gere begins to suspect that still waters run deep in his seemingly angelic client. The movie brims with humour and excitement — plus a twist guaranteed to drop jaws — while the performances of Gere and, particularly, the quite electric — and Oscar-nominated — Norton crackle with energy until the very last frame.

An implausible thriller with a twist at its end, but one that diminishes all that has gone before, so that an audience is more likely to feel cheated than surprised.