Name: Retro Film Review: Shadow of Doubt (1998)
Item: Shadow of Doubt
Rating: 15
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

1990s taught audiences to be extremely sceptical towards films advertised as "erotic thrillers". When such films happened to be additionally described as "courtroom dramas", more experienced viewers knew to head for the hills. One of such combinations can be seen in Shadow of Doubt, 1998 thriller directed by Randal Kleiser.

The film starts when young woman enjoys night of fun, dance, drugs and S/M sex in luxurious Los Angeles mansion. Next morning the girl is found brutally murdered. This turns into high profile investigation because she happened to be daughter of a billionaire with political ambitions. One of the billionaire's friends is Paul Saxon (played by James Morrison), Democratic senator and presidential hopeful who takes great interest in the case. Police quickly discovers the suspect - Robert "Bobby" Medina (played by Wade Dominguez), Latino gangsta rapper with impressive criminal record and past history of violence towards women. His only hope is Kit Deveraux (played by Melanie Griffith), one of the best defence attorneys in Los Angeles. This case is very difficult for her, because she is being stalked by Laird Atkins (played by Craig Sheffer), disturbed rapist and her former client. Even greater difficulty comes in the form of Jack Campioni (played by Tom Berenger), district attorney with whom she shared romantic past. Campioni, who prosecutes Medina, never lost the case and Saxon motivates him even further by promising post of Attorney General in case of conviction.

All eroticism invested in Shadow of Doubt is, more-or-less, used in the first shots. What follows is courtroom thriller that doesn't have much thrills or any semblance to what would really happen in American courtrooms during high profile trials. Scriptwriters try to add some originality by introducing perverted sexuality and corrupt politicians who just happen to be Democrats for a change (the script was probably influenced by real life drama erupting in Washington at the time). But this hardly lifts Shadow of Doubt above cliches and predictability. The plot's resolution, no matter how preposterous, is easily guessed at the very beginning. The most disappointing is the waste of acting talents. Tom Berenger is especially annoying in the role that looks like the carbon copy of his character in Sliver. Because of that, Shadow of Doubt is the film that should be ignored.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on June 1st 2004)