The Firm Details

After running rings around the US Navy in A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise returns to the courtroom for this big-screen adaptation of John Grisham's bestseller. The result is a lavish, star-studded legal thriller, which at times seems as if it is going to last as long as the OJ Simpson trial, but is never less than engrossing. Cruise is a rising young lawyer who gets a dream job with a prestigious law firm only to discover that it offers more than just legal advice to one particularly sinister client. The ever excellent Gene Hackman is his jaded superior, but, as good as they are, the two stars are outshone by the seemingly never-ending parade of star supporting turns (Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook and an unbilled Goodfellas reprise from Paul Sorvino). Director Sydney Pollack is as proficient as usual and just about manages to sustain the suspense throughout, even though the subject matter is fairly dry.

An attention-holding thriller for the most part, though its conclusion, diverging from the tougher stance of the novel, is unsatisfactory.