Red Corner Details

As this is a courtroom thriller set in Beijing, one might presume that the presence of Richard Gere — one of Hollywood's most prominent Buddhists and outspoken supporters of the Tibetan freedom movement — would make it a savage indictment of the Chinese occupiers of Tibet. But, instead, director Jon Avnet presents us with another variation on the lone-wolf theme that has become a staple of modern action cinema. Something of the terror of being trapped in the machinery of a foreign legal system comes across, as Gere's smarmy American TV executive finds himself relying on a Chinese female lawyer, Bai Ling, to defend him when he's charged with murder. Yet, for all its Zen idealism, the film lacks tension and focus.

"...RED CORNER is possibly producer-turned-director Jon Avnet's best film....A sincere, contained performance from Richard Gere..."