Just Cause (DVD, 1999)

A Harvard law professor takes up the case of a southern black man on death row for murdering a white woman, a crime he may not have committed. Discovering the truth proves difficult, as a Bible-spouting inmate and the brutal police officer who convicted the condemned man lead the professor down blind alleys and into treacherous waters.

Another great movie and a must see.....
{Mrs.Puman}

...doesn't mean you should!

Yup, in short: this movie is a decent one, but not a great one.
Why? Well, for starters, like most adaptations it never quite seems to hit the mark. Having only seen the movie and not read the book that this movie is based on, I can tell that the book must have had a lot more going on than this movie did (i.e. character development). As far as thrillers go it is also pretty standard and without any hint of real surprise - one spends half the time thinking "oh, I should have known." (no spoilers here)

As for the performances, they're hit and miss. Sean Connery turns in a good performance, whereas Laurence Fishburn offers a rather inconsistent one. The wrongfully convicted man, comes off as whiny at times but also comes off as the character you expect him to be - also inconsistent. The real gold in this movie is Ed Harris who plays his role rather brilliantly, leaving the watcher to beg the question: why didn't he get more screen time? The supporting cast isn't a waste but wasn't a necessity either - like most thrillers they often serve to distract the audience so as to give the ending a greater impact. However, this is one rare case where they don't do a good job of averting the audience's attention.

All in all, Just Cause really proves that just because you can make a movie adaptation of a book doesn't necessarily mean you should...
-MJB

This is one of the best drama/action, cliff-hangers ever, which is why I purchased it, to add to my DVD collection. Sean Connery and the cast are excellent in this crime/thriller....like a roller-coaster ride! Love it!

Classic Sean Connery.Twists & turns in this movie keep you quessing till the end.Ed Harris gives stellar portrail of Serial Killer.Quintessential southern lawman Lawerence Fishburne is a hate/love character & Blair Underwood is innocence personified.......one believes till the end.

If you want great acting to the point that you are totally taken in - hook, line and sinker - then this is the movie for you. Connery has always been a favorite, but Ed Harris' performance will give you nightmares for a week - it is that chilling. Plenty of twists and turns and flip flops in this one to where you feel like you've been on a killer ride, so dreadful that when the ride ends, you can't let go of the handles. What you have experienced keeps you locked in place.

If you like surprises and "who (REALLY) did it" movies, then this will not disappoint. Not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended for those veterans needing a fix of thrill.