JUDICIAL CONSENT

US, 1994, 101 minutes, Colour.
Bonnie Bedelia, Dabney Coleman, Billy Wirth, Lisa Blount, Will Patton, Kevin Mc Carthy.
Directed by William Bindley.

Judicial Consent is a murder mystery with a twist. Bonnie Bedelia plays a rising lawyer who is to be appointed a judge. She becomes involved with a young man, imprudently, and her husband becomes suspicious. However, he suspects a prominent colleague. When the colleague is murdered, there are suspicions on a variety of people. Ultimately, all the evidenced points to the judge. However, she could not have done it because she was with the young man at the time of the murder.

The film has quite a number of twists. It shows the imprudence of the judge, her trying to keep calm as she administers the case which ultimately will lead to her arrest. There is a strong supporting cast, mainly in cameo roles, Kevin Mc Carthy as an elderly judge, Dabney Coleman as the victim, Will Patten as the judge's husband. However, the focus is on Billy Worth as the young man - who has more to do with the murder than is first thought. The film moves to a rather melodramatic climax in order to resolve everything.

1. Interesting and entertaining telemovie? Murder mystery? Portrait of a judge and her affair, imprudence, becoming victim?

2. The Detroit locations, the city, the law courts, apartments? The atmosphere of Detroit? The musical score and its atmospheric themes?

3. The title and the focus on the judge, her behaviour, its consequences?

4. The prologue and the provocative scene in the train, the murder? The judge and her presiding over the case, the death penalty and the murderer's execution? The irony of the resolution - her looking at the photos of past cases, mystified, noticing the tattoo, the connection with Martin?

5. The character of the judge: with the elderly judge and her abilities, his promoting her, her knowledge, study? The brittle relationship with her husband, her making herself up, going to the dinner, the nomination? The later clashes? His jealousy and aggression? Her resisting him, his walking out? A focus of suspicion? Her relationship with the dead man? Colleagues? His flirting? His death and its impact? Her encounter with Martin, in the judge's chambers, at the library, the poetry, the communication, her going back with the book, the encounter, her return, the sexual experience and its aftermath? Her lies? His disappearance? His giving her an alibi? The clash with Theresa Lewis in the courts, personally? Presiding over the case, her distractedness, the evidence piling up against her? Her inability to communicate the truth to others? The clash with the detective and going to the warehouse? The earrings, the underwear, the poetry book, the signature? Her handling of the situation? Her telling the detective - and searching for the gavel? The murder of the detective, the confrontation with Martin in the library and then at home? The struggle? Her vindication?

6. The motivation for framing her? The young man and his father, his despising of his mother, seduction and despising of Gwen? His disappearance? The final confrontation? His character, searching for information about Gwen? In the photo, information from Stacey, the poetry books? His setting her up with the phone calls, the murder, the disguise, the earring? His despising of her? In the house, the struggle - and his death?

7. Alan, estrangement from Gwen? The dinner, his smile, suspicions, searching her office, watching her with Mayron? His disappearance? A suspect?

8. Theresa Lewis, the personal clashes with Gwen, professional jealousy, Gwen's harshness in not giving leniency? Her arguments with Mayron? As a suspect? Defence counsel, the conduct of the case, suspicions of Gwen?

9. Mayron, his work, flirt, his murder?

10. The judge, his backing of Gwen, phone calls, testing her out on her information, coaching her for the nomination?

11. The accused, the affair with Mayron, her innocence?

12. The detectives, suspicions of Gwen, complaints about her going over their heads? The false alarm at the warehouse? The death of Tony in the house?

13. Themes of justice: murder, motivation, trials, evidence, motivation? The harshness of sentences? The death penalty - their effect on the judge, victim, on the family of the deceased?

14. A blending of murder mystery with an exploration of themes of the judiciary?