High Crimes

A quick check of the calendar reveals that it's spring. Which can only mean it must be time for another one of Ashley Judd's hideous hairstyles, with the requisite lousy movie wrapped around it.

Actually, "lousy" might be a little to harsh a word for Judd's latest effort, "High Crimes." If you go into the viewing experience with diminished expectations- and face it, if you've seen her last few movies, there's no way you couldn't-then it's not really lousy. "High Crimes" is certainly not as dumb as "Double Jeopardy," nor as banal as last year's "Someone Like You." And, let's face it, "Eye of the Beholder" was just plain weird. No, 'Crimes' is none of those. But it sure isn't great cinema, either.

Judd plays Claire Kubik, a hotshot lawyer on the fast track toward partnership at a high profile San Francisco firm. On the surface, she seems to have it all: a great career, a loving husband Tom, (played by Jim Caviezel), with whom she is positively desperate to make a baby, and a great house with a Mercedes in the driveway. (With all this going for her you'd think she'd change her name to something better than Claire.) When Tom is suddenly (Is there any other way?) arrested and charged with multiple murders, Claire realizes that everything she knew about her husband's life before she met him was a lie. It turns out Tom was in the military back in the 80s, and now he's facing the death penalty before a tribunal. Before long, Claire decides to walk away from her job, move to Southern California, and defend Tom herself.

Because of her lack of experience in military court, Claire enlists the help of Charlie Grimes, (Morgan Freeman), a Harley-riding, barely sober ex-JAG core attorney to assist her. The plot moves along quickly, too quickly actually. As a rule, never trust a movie in which no scene lasts longer than two minutes. It usually means the director is trying to hide something- like the fact that nothing in the movie makes sense.

This is Judd and Freeman's second time starring together. Their first effort, 1997's "Kiss the Girls," was Judd's last good film. As an actress, Judd is convincing enough. She has charisma and an aura of believability. What she needs is someone to help her choose better movies. Caviezel is adept at alternating between sweet, unctuous, and threatening. His performance keeps you guessing about his character's true motives.

As for Freeman, the mystery is why one of the finest actors in film today would sign on for a picture with such a flawed script. He and Judd have undeniable chemistry, but ultimately "High Crimes" fails because the viewer is asked to take on faith too many plot contrivances. Here's hoping Judd and Freeman work together again, preferably a movie with a script worthy of their talent.

Mad About Movies grade: C. Rated PG-13. (Includes some profanity, violence and bloodshed, and brief partial nudity.) Agree or disagree? Let Bruce know at www.madaboutmovies2@aol.com.

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