REASONABLE DOUBT

US, 2014, 91 minutes, Colour.
Dominic Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson, Gloria Reuben, Ryan Robbins, Erin Karpluk.
Directed by Peter P. Croudins (Peter Howitt).

Reasonable Doubt is an interesting thriller. It opens with a very smug lawyer, played by Dominic Cooper, winning a case, going out on the town, drinking, finding a gang with his car, failing to find a taxi, driving his car and then hitting someone in the street. He then disguises his voice and rings the police, hoping to avoid detection.

It certainly all comes back to haunt him. A man is accused of murder, a man who had been brutally attacked in his house and his wife and child killed in front of him. He is played with Samuel L. Jackson.

The man is released – but there are many twists in the plot, in the role of Jackson, in a serial killer operating in the city, in the lawyer’s half-brother coming out of jail and taking the blame for his brother…

And, quite a buildup to a violent confrontation, the lawyer in great danger and his wife and child.

An interesting brief thriller.

1. Crime thriller, legal thriller? Twists?

2. Chicago settings, the city, the courts, legal officers, the streets, homes, the warehouse? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on legal cases, guilt, innocence, reasonable doubt?

4. The introduction to Mitch, prosecutor, winning the case, his theatrics, his complacency, the reaction of his partner? Going to the hospital, his relationship with Rachel, love, admiration for the daughter, photos? His going out on the town, drinking, the men of the car, taxi not stopping, his deciding to drive?

5. The Drive, the police pursuit, stopping, hitting the man? His concern, the plea of the dying man? His phone? Going to the phone box, concealing his voice, asking for the ambulance? His leaving?

6. Edgy, with his wife, not sleeping? The encounter with his brother? The past, Jimmy and in prison, drugs, not being introduced to Rachel? Mitch going to court, is looking for the case against the accused man, Clinton? Going to see him, his being caught with the body in his car, the hammer, the blood? Detective Cannon and her interest? The company, deciding to take case?

7. Mitch in court, the interviews, voice detection? Losing the case? Jimmy, is coming as a witness, alleging he saw the body, phoning in?

8. Mitch talking with Clinton, the underlying meanings? About giving himself in for his and run?

9. Mitch, investigating the case, the alternative? That Mitch was guilty, with the victim going to the street, hit, and Clinton taking the photo and planting it in the house? The audience seeing this alternative?

10. Mitch deciding to follow Clinton, his going to the parole meetings, the assistant and giving Mitch the idea, Clinton and the killing of his wife and family, his own being wounded, that he was picking fenders to kill, going to parole meetings to pick the victims so that they would not send any more?

11. Jimmy, his help, Mitch going into the house, looking for documentation?

12. Clinton, taking Jimmy, torturing him? Mitch going to rescue him? The set up, the blood, the hammer? The police arriving? Arresting Mitch? Taking Jimmy to the hospital?

13. Detective Cannon, her curiosity, not liking Mitch? The interrogation, the evidence pointing to him? Motivations? The phone call, Clinton pretending to be his partner? Mitch any
sitting the policeman, getting out, taking his car, going to rescue Rachel?

14. Rachel, the baby, Clinton coming to the door, getting in, menacing her, and shrewdness innovating him? Mitch arriving, the discussions about Clinton’s case, Mitch calling him a coward, his wanting Mitch to experience what he experienced? The threats to Rachel? Mitch being willing to die for her, Clinton shooting him?

15. The partner arriving, Cannon realising that Mitch was telling the truth, sending the police?

16. Clinton about to shoot Mitch, Cannon killing him?

17. The family reunion at the end, to be surviving, Mitch surviving, gathering and the delight with the baby?