Pedophile Suspect

The Offence
$9.99
Finding out this movie was adapted from a stage play answered a lot of questions for me. The film feels very much like a play. It rarely moves from one room to the next, and the majority of the film feels like one long conversation. My wife, bored within the first few minutes, continually walked in and out of the room and she commented on how it felt like the movie was one never-ending scene, beings that she always seemed to see the same thing upon reentering the room.

I'm not saying that this is a huge issue, but there are times when the film can seem redundant because of that.

Sidney Lumet is an extraordinary director, I won't ever deny him that. I personally don't feel this is his best effort, and I found the film to be lacking in a few areas, but there is no denying that Lumet tries gallantly to make this work.

The film opens with the aftermath of a brutal attack. This is not the type of attack you'd expect though. It opens with Detective Sergeant Johnson brutally interrogating Kenneth Baxter, a man suspected of child molestation. After this opening sequence we are taken back to before the attack so that we can see what led up to Kenneth being taken into custody, and then it skips right over the interrogation to show Johnson adjusting after the attack. Only after we see his moral collapse do we get to see what all happened inside that room.

Personally I found that Connery anchored this movie, and without his presence the film falls flat. Thankfully he's in most of the film. I've always enjoyed Sean's work, but he's never truly been taken seriously as an actor. I found his Oscar winning performance in `The Untouchables' to be weak, and so I've always been slightly baffled that that still remains his ONLY nomination, when you consider his superb work, especially during the 70's. This performance in particular was stellar. He really captures the haunting realities of working in this field. He portrays his characters mental deterioration and emotional crumbling to perfection, especially in that final interrogation scene. I also enjoyed his severity in which he conveys his feelings to his wife. He really got the seething nature of his profession.

Aside from Connery (and a rather remarkably unsettling turn by Ian Bannen) though, I found this film to be a little stale. I don't know how to explain the feeling I got when the film ended. It didn't leave me with any real lasting connection. Sure, Connery was effecting and he really elevated the film, but in the end the film doesn't feel like anything remarkable at all. It just feels like a film, plain and simple. It's a decent way to pass the time. True, it could have been edited a little better. There are scenes that seem to drag on and there could have been a little more character development in areas, but overall I cannot say this is a waste of time.

Watch it for Connery, and expect a lot from him because he delivers; but don't expect this to be a film you'll want to watch over and over because it's simply not that film.

The Offence
$2.99
Finding out this movie was adapted from a stage play answered a lot of questions for me. The film feels very much like a play. It rarely moves from one room to the next, and the majority of the film feels like one long conversation. My wife, bored within the first few minutes, continually walked in and out of the room and she commented on how it felt like the movie was one never-ending scene, beings that she always seemed to see the same thing upon reentering the room.

I'm not saying that this is a huge issue, but there are times when the film can seem redundant because of that.

Sidney Lumet is an extraordinary director, I won't ever deny him that. I personally don't feel this is his best effort, and I found the film to be lacking in a few areas, but there is no denying that Lumet tries gallantly to make this work.

The film opens with the aftermath of a brutal attack. This is not the type of attack you'd expect though. It opens with Detective Sergeant Johnson brutally interrogating Kenneth Baxter, a man suspected of child molestation. After this opening sequence we are taken back to before the attack so that we can see what led up to Kenneth being taken into custody, and then it skips right over the interrogation to show Johnson adjusting after the attack. Only after we see his moral collapse do we get to see what all happened inside that room.

Personally I found that Connery anchored this movie, and without his presence the film falls flat. Thankfully he's in most of the film. I've always enjoyed Sean's work, but he's never truly been taken seriously as an actor. I found his Oscar winning performance in `The Untouchables' to be weak, and so I've always been slightly baffled that that still remains his ONLY nomination, when you consider his superb work, especially during the 70's. This performance in particular was stellar. He really captures the haunting realities of working in this field. He portrays his characters mental deterioration and emotional crumbling to perfection, especially in that final interrogation scene. I also enjoyed his severity in which he conveys his feelings to his wife. He really got the seething nature of his profession.

Aside from Connery (and a rather remarkably unsettling turn by Ian Bannen) though, I found this film to be a little stale. I don't know how to explain the feeling I got when the film ended. It didn't leave me with any real lasting connection. Sure, Connery was effecting and he really elevated the film, but in the end the film doesn't feel like anything remarkable at all. It just feels like a film, plain and simple. It's a decent way to pass the time. True, it could have been edited a little better. There are scenes that seem to drag on and there could have been a little more character development in areas, but overall I cannot say this is a waste of time.

Watch it for Connery, and expect a lot from him because he delivers; but don't expect this to be a film you'll want to watch over and over because it's simply not that film.