Movie Reviews
Book reviews

High Crimes Movie Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books  Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Comedy & Personal Dramas Action Dramas
Actors: Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Jim Caviezel
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about High Crimes
An attorney is married to a former soldier. One day he is arrested for murder. He is accused of killing 9 civilians in a raid 15 years ago. His wife decides to defend him with the help of another lawyer. As they gather evidence they discover that there is a military coverup and that some people don't want them to know the truth. She continues to stand by her husband as they try to find out who the real killer is.
--Jack Bauer, Resident Scholar

Based on the Joseph Finder novel, HIGH CRIMES is a movie directed by Carl Franklin in 2002.

Claire Kubik's husband Tom is arrested and sent to a military prison near San Diego. A former G.I., Tom is accused of having killed nine civilians in El Salvador twelve years before in cold blood . Claire, a successful San Francisco lawyer, discovers to her great amazement the military past of her husband. She finally decides to believe him when he says he was framed and has never killed those civilians.

Claire hires Charlie Grimes to help her defend Tom in front of the martial court. Grimes, a former G.I. and alcoholic, knows how to cope with the military administration. During the trial, Charlie and Claire will have to undergo a certain number of acts of intimidation that strengthen their will to go all the way in order to clear Tom.

--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar

Claire Kubick (Judd) is a successful attorney doing her job well and trying to have a child with her husband, Tom (Caviezel). While holiday shopping, he is arrested by the FBI as Ron Chapman for crimes committed while serving in the Marine Corps -- which includes killing nine civilians
during an operation in El Salvador. Kubick has little experience in the world of military justice and recruits ex-JAG Charlie Grimes (Freeman). As they are pushed to rapidly investigate, eyewitnesses seem to have died under questionable circumstances. The more they investigate, the more danger they are in from the military and a person who may be the only witness to the crime Kubick/Chapman may or may not have perpetrated. And the less and less Claire realizes she knows her husband.

--ldpaulson, Resident Scholar




17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!

Analysis of High Crimes
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%



Time/Era of Movie: - present (2000-2010)
Legal/Political Thriller? Yes
Legal Thriller Plotlets: - military on trial
Romance Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Hair color? - brunette (Brown)
Hair style - short/butch/lez (woman)
Body type - skinny (woman)
Events of movie makes character more... - sad
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
Hair color - brunette (Black)
Hair style - (man) short/standard curly
Body type - muscular (man)
How much in movie? - 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality - Black

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 20%
Hair type - (man) very short/crewcut
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - missing body parts/abilities
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - California
City? Yes
City: - Los Angeles - San Francisco
Misc setting - prison - fort/military installation

Style
How many deaths in film? - 8 or more
Sex/nudity in movie? Yes
What kind of sex: - kissing - impregnation/reproduction - actual description of sex
Kind of violence: - mental battles - hand to hand - guns
Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets
Any profanity? - Occasional swearing
Is this movie based on a - book
Most similar reviews by Gordonator ranking
Courage Under Fire starring Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan
Joint Security Area starring Yeong-ae Lee, Ha-kyun Shin, Kang-ho Song
No Witness starring Steve Barnes, Jeff Fahey, Corey Feldman, Marisa Petroro
Jagged Edge starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote
Rules of Engagement starring Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley




High Crimes Message Board (click here)
Movie talk: favorite scenes, what to buy, favorite online
posters, movies for sale on dvd v. rentals.

Search for another movie

Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
ldpaulson  

SCHOLARS:
Jack Bauer  Daniel Staebler  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).