Even though I have ended up sitting through some really bad movies at times, I still will watch movies I find on one of my cable channels when I don't really know much about them. I have stumbled across some very good movies that way as well as some that were just horrible. I recently came across Shadow of Doubt late one night and decided to leave it on since it had just started.
Kitt Devereux was high profile defense attorney in Los Angeles who had a reputation for winning even while some people questioned her methods. Jana Calloway, the daughter of a very powerful business man, was found murdered in her home. The man she had been dating, Bobby Medina, an up and coming rapper, was arrested. He contacted Kitt and after meeting him, she agreed to take his case. Bobby didn’t deny having rough sex with Jana the night she was killed, but he swore he hadn’t killed her and Kitt believed him.
The district attorney handling the case, Jack Campioni, was convinced he would have trouble getting a conviction because there was evidence against Bobby. To make things more complicated, Kitt and Jack had been lovers. With the help of Al Gordon, Kitt started to uncover things about Jana, like her connection to Senator Saxon, that someone wanted to keep buried. Laird Atkins, a man that Kitt had defended a few years before, turned up again and someone else was murdered.
In 1992, the movie Basic Instinct was released. It combined graphic sex scenes with a mystery and did have a bit of suspense. The movie ended up becoming very popular, perhaps because Sharon Stone was naked several times. In the years after the movie came out, there were several other erotic thrillers released, trying to catch onto the same popularity that Basic Instinct had. I believe that Shadow of Doubt was trying to be that type of movie because it shared some similarities even though there weren’t as many sexual elements. It was almost like this movie was trying to be a tamer version of Basic Instinct. This movie deserved the R rating and it absolutely isn’t something for children to see.
Right away, the media and police were making a connection between the fact that Jana had sex before she died with her murder. Since there was evidence of rough sex, it was decided that it was rape, which was just how Jack described it in his opening statement at the trial. Early in the movie, Kitt met with Bobby and he talked about how they spent that last night together. He did get descriptive, especially in detailing certain things. While he was talking, he and Jana were shown doing what he was describing in a sort of flashback. Jana’s naked breasts were seen more than once during that part. There was another sex scene later in the movie. There wasn’t any reason for it to be included and all it added was an opportunity to have another female character flash her bare breasts. Bobby’s bare backside was shown once or twice and the rest of the nudity was provided from a few topless women. Some other sexual things were mentioned throughout the movie, including how Jana had a hidden camera aimed at her bed. Some of the pictures were shown, but they were rather tame instead of racy how Kitt’s assistant described them. Kitt was never naked in the movie. She just wore a very low cut dress at one point when she was trying to be seductive in what was probably the dumbest part of the movie.
Kitt said that she believed Bobby’s story which was why she took the case after having avoided cases with any kind of sexual aspects for several years. She seemed to be putting a lot of importance on believing Bobby, but from some things that were said, it was like she hadn’t been as concerned with that in the past. Kitt was trying to figure out who had killed Jana while defending Bobby. There was a small amount of mystery connected to her death that wasn’t that strong. There was also a small amount of mystery connected to things that Kitt learned about Jana that weren’t handled as well as they could have been. I really didn’t think there was much suspense either. The courtroom scenes weren’t interesting at all. There was a little bit of violence, with most of it not being shown. The two dead bodies were shown that could bother some viewers.
There was a whole subplot in Shadow of Doubt that was tied back into Laird. He had been one of Kitt’s clients a few years before. His was actually the last case she took that had sexual elements until she decided to represent Bobby. Kitt and Laird had more than just an attorney/client relationship and things had ultimately ended badly between them. It did seem a bit odd that Laird would suddenly decide to try to contact Kitt again after all that time when she was starting a new case. I’m guessing that the things with Laird were added to try to add more suspense or interest but I think it was a waste of time and I didn’t care about his history with Kitt. The way it was concluded was just a little too convenient. None of the characters, even Kitt, were developed much at all. Kitt came across as arrogant and cocky early in the movie, saying how she was just about the only defense attorney that Bobby would consider hiring. I didn’t think she was that likable which made it very hard to care about what she was doing and if she would figure things out. It seemed like she worked out of her house with an assistant that was almost always around. I’ve never been overly impressed with Melanie Griffith and this performance didn’t change my mind.
Al Gordon seemed to be some kind of private investigator who worked for Kitt and seemed to be living in a van in her driveway for some reason. He did some things with computers and went along with Kitt when she interviewed potential witnesses. Huey Lewis wasn’t anything special in the part. Jana was found murdered at the beginning of the movie, so Sandra Guibord really didn’t have much to do.
Bobby had just gotten a recording contract and had a hit rap song when he was arrested. He had a history of violence with former girlfriends. He acted arrogant and cocky at times as well. He wasn’t likable or sympathetic in any way so it was basically impossible for me to care what happened to him. Wade Dominguez was fine in the part. Laird was another unlikable character who didn’t serve much point.
Jack and Kitt had been involved sometime in the past and now they would have to face off in court. They didn’t have much time together, and when they did, there wasn’t any sort of lingering chemistry between them like was probably intended. Their previous relationship didn’t add anything to the movie either, though I’m guessing someone thought it would add sexual tension and more conflict. Jack was very close to Senator Saxon - who was running for President - and spent most of his time sucking up in hopes Saxon would name him attorney general. Jack was more concerned with covering up or averting any potential scandal than with finding who was really guilty. Tom Berenger did all right with what he had to work with. Senator Saxon, his wife Leslie and his mother Sylvia were briefly around. Sylvia liked to stick her nose into everything pertaining to her son.
Main Cast
Tom Berenger - Jack Campioni Wade Dominguez - Bobby Medina Nina Foch - Sylvia Saxon Melanie Griffith - Kitt Devereux Sandra Guibord - Jana Calloway Huey Lewis - Al Gordon James Morrison - Senator Paul Saxon Craig Sheffer - Laird Atkins
Randal Kleiser - Director
Since I saw Shadow of Doubt on one of the movie channels I get, I have no idea if there is a DVD version available.
Shadow of Doubt could have been an entertaining, suspenseful thriller if it had been handled better. As it was, it failed to be suspenseful, erotic, or interesting in any way. Don’t waste your time watching it unless you are a die hard fan of Melanie Griffith or Tom Berenger.
Kitt Devereux Melanie Griffith is a Los Angeles defense attorney who takes on a headline-caliber murder case. The prosecution is led by her former lov...More at Family Video
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