Shadow of Doubt (1998)

Simply Perfect

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

**SPOILER ALERT** Over-plotted and confusing crime conspiracy flick about the rich famous and infamous involved in a presidential campaign that's connected to the death of a major political contributers wild suicidal and drug addicted daughter.When Jana Calloway,Sandra Guibord, is found brutally murdered in her outdoor gazebo all the evidence points to up and coming rap singer Bobby Madena, Wade Dominguez, a former drug dealer who was last seen with her at a local L.A night club. An open and shut case at first Madena gets top defense attorney Kitt Devereux, Malanie Griffith,to defend him. This throws the entire case into limbo for the overconfident D.A, Kitt's ex-husband, Jack Campioni, Tom Berenger, who's representing the state. Madena is anything but helpful to Kitt in refusing to take a manslaughter rap, that Kitt agreed to, that would end up putting him behind bars for eight years instead life or the gas chamber if he's convicted of murder one. Protesting his innocence Madena want's to go all the way to a jury trail refusing to admit to a crime that he didn't commit. Jana's father Norman Calloway, James Karen, is a major contributor to Senator Paul Saxon's, James Morrison, presidential campaign and it later turns out that the senator was more then just a friend of Jana. Saxon was involved in a love affair with Jana that, when he threatened to break it off,lead to her attempted suicide.The fact that Madena has a very good chance of getting off with Jana's murder is stymied with him not laying low and keeping out of trouble. Madena first opens his big mouth on a tabloid TV show about his past as a macho man and woman abuser that doesn't help his case at all. Later Madena is found stoned out of his skull with his girlfriend Bridget Paul, Kimberley Kates, dead from a stab wound next to him in her home that's an exact replica of the Jana Calloway murder. All these sordid events turn out to be connected to Senator Saxon who's family and close supporters will go to any lengths to keep his presidential campaign from self-destructing with his secret relationship with Jana being exposed in Bobby Madena's trial.Kitt who's determined to get her client Bobby Madena off, knowing that he's innocent,is now being blackmailed by a former client Laird Atkins, Craig Sheffer, an accused rapist that she got off. Atkins not only admitted that he indeed raped the person whom he was indited for and found innocent of sexually assaulting but also had a sexual affair with Kitt which, if it became public, can have her law licenses suspended. Atkins is also being used by the Saxon crowd to keep Kitt from implicating their man, Senator Paul Saxon, in Jana's murder. The truth is a lot more sinister and evil then even Kitt could have ever suspected in that it was not just the senator who were behind Jana Calloway murder it was the states top law enforcer who actually committed it! The ending of the movie with Madena being exonerated of both Jana and Bridgets murders is a total cop-out with Kitt getting her hands on a very flimsy piece of evidence that reveals who Jana's killer, Bridget was murdered by Atkins, really is. The unbelievably conclusion of the film will satisfy those of us who like to see justice done to powerful criminals in high places but seeing it happen you just know that it's straight out of fantasy land.

Huey Lewis caught my attention in this movie. His high-tech detective was fun. The rest was fairly predictable. The production values kept it from sinking too low into obscurity. The houses were certainly a large part of the film and should have gotten credits.

Who'd have thought that Huey Lewis would have turned out to be a pretty good actor? The supporting cast of this film really hold this movie together, under Melanie Griffith's lead. Tom Berenger gives a great performance as the ambitious DA, and some of the best moments of the film are his scenes with Melanie Griffith. Overall,I think the writers tried too hard with some of the dialogue, but the movie has enough twists and turns and a surprise ending that will keep you thinking past the movie's ending.

A surprisingly good thriller. This mystery with conspiracy theory overtones starring Melanie Griffith and Tom Berenger is well constructed. The clues to the killer could have been a touch stronger but it's basically a "play fair" mystery with lots of red herrings to keep you guessing. Berenger, as usual, is very good as the DA opposing defense attorney Griffith, whom he used to date. Griffith is very believable as the sharp attorney often underestimated due to her looks and little girl voice. Singer Huey Lewis is a very pleasant surprise as Griffith's investigator and tech expert.