Movie Review : The Trials of Cate McCall

Cate McCall (Kate Beckinsale) becomes an alcoholic lawyer after she sent an innocent man to prison thinking that he was guity. Before that, she was a hotshot lawyer but now she is recovering from being an alcoholic and on probation because of her argument with the judge who sent her to Breathalyzer test. The judge then put her on probation in a small office. She, on the other hand, wants to win back the custody of her child who is now living with her father. Therefore, she has to take on an appeal case of a women who are wrongly accused of murdering another women. To show that she deserve the custody of her child, leading a stable life and to be reinstated back to the bar. 

It was a really nice movie. Clichè but with a little bit of twist. The tension of the story is good and it keeps the mystery alive until at the end of the movie. Being a lawyer is such a difficult task because you do not know whether your clients are telling you the truth or the other way around. It is the duty of the lawyer to defend the case that they take on no matter which side they are in. To balance up the personal life outside of the court rooms and inside is a multi-task job. 

For Cate McCall, it was difficult to balance both work and personal. She never loses a case and always on the winning team list. But after that case she took on, 12 years ago, she found out that the man she puts in prison was innocent and that kills her bits by bits. Now, she was given a similar appeal case. As she investigates with her friend, Bridges ( Nick Nolte), the evidence points out that Lacey Stubbs (Anna Anissimova), her client, is innocent and the case is just a cover up for the police mistakes. But is she really guilty or will Cate made another mistake again just like she did with the previous one? It is something that keeps us wondering until the end of the movie. 

I would say that Kate was totally flawless in her acting in this one. Plus, she is seriously gorgeous and I like how she acts as a mother who tried to get her own daughter to like her to being the serious, hardworking lawyer that would do anything to win the case for her clients. This kind of movie which involves the lawyers and court rooms usually are appealing to me because of the evidences has been touched and altered, there were police involvement in it, the twist and turns in the court room, how the lawyer interrogate the witnesses and so much more. It takes a good script to write an engaging conversations between them to make the audience stays the same pace with the movie and does not get bored with it. The characters and the plot is well developed in this movie and the plot twist will surprise the audience. 

On the final note, the movie actually tells us about the things that revolves around us in everyday life. Manipulation from those people who looked innocent on the outside, added with their sad stories, making us believe in them when we are not supposed too. It takes instinct and do what your heart feels the best to separate those who are innocent and guilty. Besides, it also portrays about second chances. To prove yourself to others, even though you may have make a bad decision before. One mistakes does not and will not bring you down, if you do not let them be. 

One thing that I learned from the movie is that, whatever things that does not go according to our way, do not blame others for it. If we keep on putting the blame on others, then we do not see what is flawed in ourselves. Hence, we will not be able to move forward and fix those thing to become a better person. It is a matter of choice. Be better or be worse. Just do not give up until you find your own specialty. Find that special thing in you, look deep down into yourself and hold on to it. 

At least, you do not give up, right? <3

-dz-

Movie Review : You're Not You

I just finished watching this at 3 o'clock in the morning and it really makes me cry a river. A very well-written story which involves a classical pianist who has been diagnosed with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and a brash college student who becomes her caregiver. 

At the beginning of the movie, Kate (Hilary Swank) and Evan (Josh Duhamel) was somewhat hosting a small party, inviting their friends over in their minimalist modern home. You can see how madly in love the couple are with each other at this point. Everything sits accordingly and everything turns out well until Kate takes on the piano. Being a concert pianist before, she made a few slips and find her hands shaking uncontrollably after she ended playing. 

Then, it was fast-forward to a year and a half later, where Kate's disease began to worsen and needs help in taking care of her necessities. After firing a nurse which makes Kate feels like a patient, Bec (Emmy Rossum) takes in the job in assisting Kate in her everyday life. Afterwards, they find themselves exploring new territory, facing down regrets and direction in learning about who they are. 

There is one part where her disease got worse and the ability of speaking is deterioting, Hillary portrays the character's physical disabilities with incredible detail. Rossum was also a great supporting actress in this movie. Being the spoil, spiritless girl at the beginning, she turns to an increasingly effective character afterwards by settling down to a more believable character. Finding her direction or idea who she wants to be while taking care of an ALS patient that leads her to find strength to perform what she love the most afterwards. Besides that, Josh's performance was also applaudable as a spouse who is also suffering from her wife's terminal illness. 

The setting in this movie, the location and cinematography was really nice and has that modern minimalistic feel to it. In my opinion, the story is indeed well-written (at least for me). The terminal illness which has no chance of recovery is such a sad moment take in. The movie did open up to me as I did not really know how an ALS patient was suffering, how does the disease work and what are the activities they will enjoy. It also made me read up about the ALS disease. 

Overall, the brilliant performance by the cast and the complexity of emotion portrays will make an empathetic audience moved to tears. 

Well, I did. 

-dz-