Directed by:
Joel SchumacherCinematography:
Tony Pierce-RobertsComposer:
Howard ShoreCast:
Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, J. T. Walsh, Anthony Edwards, Brad Renfro, Will Patton, Bradley Whitford (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Settle in. Take a deep breath. Hold tight. The best screen version yet of a novel by John Grisham (The Firm, The Pelican Brief) delivers all-out, moment-by-moment suspense! Headliners Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones join newcomer Brad Renfro in The Client, a whirlwind thriller that "starts like a house afire and keeps on blazing" (Chicago Tribune). Renfro plays Mark Sway, an 11-year-old torn between what he knows and what he can never tell. A hitman will snuff him in half a heartbeat if Mark reveals what he learned about a Mob murder. An ambitious federal prosecutor (Jones) will keep the pressure on until Mark tells all. Suddenly, Mark isn't a boy playing air guitar anymore. He's a pawn in a deadly game. And his only ally is a courageous but unseasoned attorney (Sarandon) who risks her career for him...but never imagines she'll also risk her life. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
Boyhood adventures in the adult world of lawyers, mobsters, private eyes, crooked cops, and slimy mobsters. If the whole concept of the story is based on a ten-year-old silly Jack Sprat outsmarting all the wise-asses, it's hard to execute without all the adults acting like complete idiots. And Schumacher, with his Foglar-esque (wink wink nudge nudge) fondness for plucky, marginalized youths, was certainly never capable of that.
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Joel Schumacher’s touch is unmistakable here. It's a solid topic with good execution and performances typical of the 90s ensemble cast. Brad Renfro, in particular, showcases his immense talent. However, the entire time you’re watching, you can’t help but think, "This makes no sense; nobody would act like this." The CIA, the lawyer, the kid’s mother, and even the kid himself seem like they’re from another planet. Yet, you forgive them because of that classic 90s vibe. It may not be a masterpiece, but it’s still better than a lot of today's films.
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