PRIMAL FEAR

Once you know the twist is coming it all seems really... legal.

I can't help wishing I'd had the chance to review Primal Fear the first time I watched it. I remember being utterly captivated by the slowly unfolding drama, and when I finally reached the startling twist ending, I felt like I'd just watched one of the greatest legal thrillers ever made. "Who is this clever Edward Norton? And can Richard Gere do no wrong?" Thirteen years later, I still see all the ways that the movie is brilliant, but I can't get quite as excited about watching it. Once you know the twist is coming it all seems really... legal.

Martin Vail (Richard Gere) is a smooth-talking, high-powered criminal defense attorney who comes to the aid of Aaron (Edward Norton), a meek altar boy accused of murdering a priest. It's a juicy case that should mean great publicity, and Vail can't help being a bit smug about the whole thing, even as people scratch their heads and try to figure out how a poor sap like Aaron wound up with a real lawyer instead of the public defender. Making matters even more interesting, the prosecuting attorney is to be Janet Venable (Laura Linney), with whom Martin shares some sort of elaborate history and no small amount of sexual tension.

At the outset, Aaron seems like the perfect victim. His slouchy demeanor, unassuming stutter, and simple small-town vocabulary make him seem vulnerable and endearing. What more could a defense attorney ask for? Oh, I don't know. Maybe an innocent client?

As Martin delves deeper into the case, it seems as though Aaron really did have reason to chop off the priest's fingers (in a fabulously dramatic maneuver that we actually get to see) and stab him fifty times. A disturbing tape surfaces that would make just about anybody want to knock him off, and again it seems as though Aaron is nothing but a victim. If he really did do it, he had a good reason.

Even more disturbing than the tape is the second personality that emerges when Aaron is pressed for details. His alter-ego is loud, aggressive, and scary as all get-out, but again, a good attorney can work with that. It's all about presentation, and Martin Vail knows exactly how to work the system. Thing is, he never expected his client to be working him.

The film gradually works up to an explosive courtroom smackdown that leaves everyone (including the audience) with their mouths hanging open. Aaron's performance on the stand surprises everyone, but somehow it works in Vail's favor. He may have one more victory under his belt, but what actually just happened there? The final twist comes so far out of left field that you don't even realize there's anyone waiting to throw something at you - at least the first time.

I found it far more difficult to work up enthusiasm for the film on my second viewing. So much of it seemed like legal tedium, and the film's score seemed to leap forth like Aaron's second personality. Worst of all, the surprise ending is so memorable that thirteen years later I knew exactly where Primal Fear was going. Even so, there's much to be said for the clever plotting and stellar cast (including Frances McDormand, Alfre Woodard, Maura Tierney, John Mahoney, and Steven Bauer of Scarface). Besides, the Hard Evidence Edition comes in a nifty zip-top evidence bag, and it'll look so cool in your DVD collection that you won't care whether you watch the movie again or not.

DVD NOTES

Extra features on the Hard Evidence Edition of Primal Fear include Feature Commentary, the original theatrical trailer, and the featurettes "Primal Fear: The Final Verdict", "Primal Fear: Star Witness-Casting Edward Norton", and "The Psychology of Guilt".