Legal thrillers are a genre that I have a fondness for - mostly because Hollywood does not make them any more.
When I saw the log-line for Last Suspect, I was immediately sold.
Last Suspect has a lot going for it - for one, it has a great genre hook.
Another plus we’re the cast. I was not familiar with any of the performers, which made the viewing experience more interesting and unpredictable.
I wish I liked the movie more.
The film plays like a network TV pilot, with no real sense of dimension to the characters or dramatic stakes:
Our lawyer heroine (Xiaofei Zhang) is great at her job and makes time for her daughter, while her best friend (Hong-Chi Lee) is a drunk ex-cop who is completely uninhibited by his vices.
Every time it looks like our heroes are in jeopardy, we get a flashback that reveals they have figured out how to get out of trouble.
The court room showdown is followed by a climax so convoluted it starts to play like a comedy sketch, as a seeming failure of justice is undone.
Instead of being a movie about overcoming systemic problems, the movie undoes its own premise - it turns out the justice system was correct the first time.
The film betrays a deep anxiety about showing institutions in a poor light, and it undermines the story. It is ultimately frustrating in its willingness to undo any dramatic turn.
I doubt it will get an overseas remake, but Last Suspect is so uncommitted to its premise, it feels like an exercise in botching a potentially fun movie.
If you enjoy something I wrote, and want to support my writing, here’s a link for tips!
No comments:
Post a Comment