Primal Fear is just hands down a "classic" movie in every sense of the word. I'm not usually drawn to movies with such morbid subject matter, but I'm a sucker for a good courtroom drama, and they just don't get any better than this.

Within the first ten minutes, you'll get a scintillating choir performance, an established storyline, a sweet dose of profanity, and about a dozen one-liners that are simply to die for. Case in point, Laura Linney's line, "It was a one-night stand, Marty. It just lasted six months." Or the opening line.

The story is basically this. The great Archbishop Richard Rushman has just been, to put it lightly, murdered. Just after the murder happens, a boy fleeing the area is apprehended by the police, and he is covered in blood, with the Archbishop's ring in his pocket. Does it get any more open and shut than this? Well, apparently it does.

Let's say you have a client that you know is guilty, a reporter asks early in the film. The question is quickly refuted by Martin Vale (Richard Gere), who says you know what? That stuff doesn't matter. What matters is that every person deserves the right to be defended in a court of law. Doesn't mean you're their best friend for Chrissakes, Gere retorts just a little too cheerfully. The guy's obviously in it for the fame and the money. As the film develops, we discover that this is a point of some heated conflict between him and a fellow law student, Mrs. Venable (Laura Linney) who chose to... shall we say, take the road more travelled. Why become an umpire when you can play ball? Gere asks, and again I swoon before these majestic one-liners.

Not that I find Linney's character any less respectable. If anything, she is the closest thing to a "good guy" the film offers, and even she has moments that are damn near psychotic. Plus she's a smoker, and we all know how much everybody just loves to hate them. The most annoying thing about her in this film is her hair. It's just so freakin' perfect. I don't know how anyone sleeps with all that.

So then we have the character of the "butcher boy" Aaron Stampler, played by Edward Norton. He is the primary suspect in the murder of the Archbishop. I was already trying to control myself from gushing about what a massive display of talent we had working here and then along came Norton to just push me over the proverbial edge. Norton is a GOD in this film. It is somewhat regrettable that he is given as little screentime as he is. Which is by no means a small amount; after all, he is the central character.

Even the "side" characters are played by true pros in the acting field. Maura Tierney works nicely as a soft-spoken assistant Naomi, and Andre Braugher is both a bit of a "noob" and a complete comedian while playing Tommy, who's kind of Gere's subordinate in training. I love how he gets his butt kicked in the hotel room and he ends up face down on the ground with one knee bent and his professional, black-socked foot "dangling" up in the air. Hilarious. Or how about when Richard Gere is fussing his two assistants out, and Andre gets so mad that he can't possibly express it enough so he just turns the other way and shouts the F-word. And this is like a half a second after Gere just said it to him, which makes it even more funny.

The Judge Miriam Shoat played by Alfre Woodard is excellently played as well. Even though she's got all the formalities down, you still get that sense that she's a real person from the most subtle thing, such as the first day in court. She looks up to ask if everyone is there and realizes she forgot to tell them to sit down, so she says "Sit down," then asks again "Is everyone here?" Just something to watch for if you never noticed! As a LOST fan, I couldn't possibly overlook Terry O'Quinn. I barely recognized him with the hair, now I just laugh every time I see it. Like what is John Locke doing in this movie, man?

About the worst thing I can think to say about Primal Fear (other than Linney's imitation of Aaron Stampler's stutter, although that is negligible) is that it gets bogged down in the middle by a subplot involving a housing project that the Archbishop was somehow involved in. Then it turns out that Linney's boss (whom Gere used to work for before branching out on his own) is also involved. It's all sort of complicated and even now after seeing the film probably a hundred times, I'm still not sure I completely comprehend it.

All in all though, this is one film that I would not hesitate to cite as a top 100'er, because it seems like no matter how many times I watch it, I just never ever get sick of it. It is a very strong dramatic film, a stellar courtroom drama with brilliant as hell acting, and a surprisingly hearty dose of humor as well. Which to me is the thing that ultimately tips the balance, the humor. And I haven't even mentioned the twists, oh my God, the TWISTS!

The only people in this world that I would not recommend it to are those who are overly sensitive to profanity, 'cause there is a LOT of it in this film.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age