The Pelican Brief (1993)

The Pelican Brief (1993)

Cast: 

Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepard, John Heard, William Atherton, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci

Director:

 Alan J. Pakula

Synopsis:

 Law student Darby Shaw writes a brief about the assassination of two Supreme Court justices. Her brief makes its way into the wrong hands, marking her for death. She turns to Washington newspaper reporter Gray Grantham for help, and as he learns her story, an incredible conspiracy unfolds.

Review: 

The shocking news that two Supreme Court justices have been brutally murdered is baffling to both the White House and the F.B.I.. The president, a conservative Republican, senses that there may be a political connection to his administration that could be damaging to his reelection bid. And he wants answers. But the FBI fails to establish a motive or come up with a credible list of suspects. Meanwhile in New Orleans, Darby Shaw, a Tulane law student, notes the timing of the murders and suspects that there may be a plot to pack the Court with conservatives. What is puzzling, however, is how dissimilar the murdered justices were. One was a ninety-year-old liberal patriarch of the Court, the other a young conservative justice.

While making her investigation, Darby meets Gray Grantham. He tells her that her work can harm the president and all what they have are theories .When Grantham's editor tells him that they have nothing that he should drop cause the man she implicated is extremely powerful. However, the film ends with the glory of Darby and Gray.

As for performance of the actors, I was impressed by   J.Roberts. Julia is a natural at acting; it just comes easily to her. I have loved her for a long time and nobody can take away her level of talent. I think she should be recognised more as an actress, though, because she has the looks and she does not pretend to be something she's not. I also love her smile, a smile that is not easily forgot.

After watching the film, I have mixed feelings. I like the way the movie was produced. There's an interesting structure where one character unravels the mystery quite early on, but it's only slowly revealed to us while she tries to escape her opponents and publicize their misdeeds However, it was difficult for me to understand who is who just at the beginning. I also liked the ending because the director did not push the love story angle too far in hopes of attracting romance audience and it gave us room for imagination as to what could possibly transpire between the student and the news writer.

I can conclude that the main theme is the innocent bystander against the System, against the odds. I like the triumph of justice.