John Grisham was once one of those superstar authors whose books transcended the literary world and pulled in readers who normally don't read while
also satisfying the craving of regular readers for something fresh, smart, and broadly appealing. At his peak, he was in the same class as such
contemporary writers as Stephen King, Michael Crichton, J.K. Rowling, and Stephenie Meyer, all of whom have defined the modern literary era insofar
as general mass appeal is concerned. Indeed, Grisham's first few novels were some of the most popular around in the 1990s; A Time to Kill,
The Pelican Brief, The Client, and perhaps most notably The Firm are the author's core four, generally considered
amongst his
finest works with the latter often noted as his most well-rounded and successful story. It didn't take long for Hollywood to come-a-calling, and for
once, the powers-that-be in Tinsletown got one right. Director Sydney Pollack's (Out of Africa) film of the same name is every bit as engaging,
suspenseful, and perfectly-crafted as Grisham's source novel. Wonderfully cast, expertly paced, smoothly constructed, and enjoying a good old
fashioned throwback Thriller appeal that stays true to the genre's core values and positively strikes every necessary note with impeccable confidence,
The Firm is a dazzling motion picture that might not be superficially sexy but is at its core one of the best-assembled movies of the past few
decades.
Welcome to the family.
Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise, War of the Worlds) is in the top five of his class at Harvard Law. He's
married to a beautiful young schoolteacher named Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Basic Instinct) and is being courted by some of the top law firms around
the country.
His offers are ever-increasing, and it's clear that Mitch is on the fast-track to success. He finally receives an offer he simply can't refuse -- matching
his
previous high offer and increasing it by twenty percent, along with plenty of perks and the understanding that money stretches further in the South
than
it does in Boston or
New York -- from the prestigious but relatively small Memphis firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke. He accepts, and he and his wife pack up a U-haul
and
move into the bought-and-paid for house the firm has provided. Soon after the move, Abby becomes overwhelmed as Mitch becomes dazzled. She
settles in, and he's swamped. She feels as if she's losing him, he travels to the Caymans with his "designated mentor" Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman,
Superman) and proves his worth to the fim. Mitch's career has officially
taken off, but he's about to be grounded when he's confronted by a federal agent named Wayne Tarrance (Ed Harris, The Rock) who clues him into the firm's behind-the-scenes dirty
dealings. Mitch is in a perfect position to rat out the firm, and when he digs deeper into the truth at Bendini, Lambert & Locke and finds that the
FBI's story has legs, he agrees to play hardball, even if it might mean the end of his career or, maybe, his life.
Story, craftsmanship, and acting. It sounds so simple in these days of hyper editing, computer special effects, and mass marketing, but there's
something to be said for a movie that bests most of the rest in raw know-how, focus, and smarts. The Firm is an old-fashioned, plot-driven
picture that takes its time to develop and play out, but its 150-minute runtime is only an asset. The film moves on by with extraordinary speed
despite its otherwise-daunting length. That's a testament to each of the three factors that make it work so well: quality of story, strength of acting,
and firmness of craftsmanship. The Firm is a smart and edgy picture made in the classical style that highlights only the essentials, places its
assets perfectly, and builds a picture that's lean and both thematically and emotionally engaging, emphasizing characterization and plot, meshing the
two together seamlessly, and revealing an end product that's as smart as it is entertaining. In The Firm, most of the action is a byproduct
of both
the suspense and the inter-character maneuvering while always flowing naturally from the story. Pure action is minimal, the picture instead
deriving its
excitement from the development of characters; the gathering of information; and the figurative, rather than the literal, chase. It's to Director
Sydney
Pollack's credit that The Firm is so delightfully exciting in a tense, edge-of-the-seat sort of way based almost entirely on dialogue and the
authenticity of the performances. Isn't that the very definition of the Thriller?
Grisham's source material and Pollack's know-how in translating it into a smooth, defined, focused, and intense Thriller still isn't enough to elevate
The Firm to a level where it may be considered an elite motion picture of its kind. The final element is its exemplary cast that almost to a
player delivers seamless, natural performances that sell both the greater story and the smaller, more personal elements alike that altogether give
The
Firm its all-encompassing and realistic feel. Tom Cruise delivers another superb effort as a young hotshot attorney whose maturity is matched
by his sharp intellect while his natural athleticism is just as impressive as his natural powers of perception. He may at first allow the glamour and
allure of the firm's promises to cloud his better judgement, but then again he's being worked by seasoned master manipulators with experiences and
wiles that even someone of McDeere's sensibilities and smarts could neither detect nor deflect. Indeed, the group that's made of actors such as
Hackman, Holbrook, and Kinney are incredibly convincing in playing parts that demand of them openness and friendliness that's transparent enough
to lure in McDeere but at the same time convey just a hint of mystery and suspiciousness to clue in the audience that all is not right behind the veil.
There's always an uneasiness about the interactions that slowly builds over time, and even at the bookends when everything is superficially
hunky-dory at first and dangerously and deadly serious at the end the picture manages to convince its viewers that the plot could go either way.
The list of supporting actors -- Holly Hunter, Tobin Bell, Ed Harris, David Strathairn, Gary Busey, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Wilford Brimley, Paul Sorvino,
and Joe
Viterelli amongst others -- reads like a who's who of the top actors of the early 1990s. This is one of the finest ensemble casts ever put together
for a film; there's not a weak point from top to bottom, and it's no wonder, then, why The Firm is such a rousing success of smart, well-put
together cinema.
If there's a single element that might be called into question, it's the way the story works out at the end. Sure it has something of an anti-climactic
feel to it when compared to more general cinematic conclusions, but in a sense, what's here is a more truthful
ending than might be some contrived, manipulated, dishonest finale meant to pump adrenaline rather than adhere to truth and remain faithful to
how such a story might plausibly play out in the real world. Of course, that's one of the main reasons why The Firm is such a great novel
and film; it's fantastic, of course; implausible, maybe; unlikely, perhaps; but not at all out of the realm of possibility. The picture remains grounded
in an alluring truthfulness that carries the story as much as the specifics of the plot, and that readers and viewers alike may see every aspect of the
tale -- the relationships between the characters, the allure of the firm, the secrets it hides, the games of cat and mouse, the play on human
emotions and temptations, and interpersonal manipulations that at first only go one way but are later turned on the same characters who so
skillfully exploit others -- as
plausibly real, including the ending, is perhaps The Firm's finest asset.
The Firm debuts on Blu-ray with a handsome 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that overcomes a few minor issues thanks to a strong film-like
texture. A bit of grain is retained over the image, and fine details are usually quite strong. The image benefits further from excellent clarity that allows
the fine appointments around the law firm offices, as well as clothing and facial textures, to stand out nicely. The color palette is lively, whether
showcasing the
warm interiors of the law firm or the bright outdoor locales in the Cayman Islands. Flesh tones are natural in presentation, and blacks never exhibit too
much crush. A few random pops and splotches are present, as is light blocking, a few poor color gradations along skin textures, one or two instances of
banding, and a few light applications of edge enhancement. Fortunately, none of these issues represent major problems; all are mild and never too
terribly detrimental to the overall presentation. The Firm could probably stand to look a little bit better, but as it is this is a relatively healthy
and high quality transfer
from Paramount.
The Firm is by design a sonically inconsequential film. It's built exclusively on dialogue, light music, and minor ambience. Dialogue is
consistently strong and accurate, remaining perfectly balanced in the front-center of the soundstage throughout. Dave Grusin's Oscar-nominated,
piano-heavy score floats into and throughout the soundstage with a spacious, airy, and natural tone, emanating primarily from the front channels. The
back channels primarily carry a few light atmospherics and support the film's few moderately-heavy sound effects. The Firm just doesn't have
much in terms of raw sonic muscle to flex, but Paramount's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack handles the picture's limited material with relative
ease.
The Firm is a superb Thriller that stays true to genre tenants and emphasizes story and characterization, the picture deriving its action from
suspense and dialogue rather than cheap thrills that would lessen, rather than enhance, the innate intensity and style on which the movie thrives.
Director
Sydney Pollack does everything right, finding a perfect pacing that easily overcomes an extended runtime while framing the action so as to allow the
story
and thematic structure -- not flashy camerawork -- to dominate. The picture is supported by one of the absolute best casts ever assembled, all to a
player turning in seamless performances. This is a rare film that's every bit as good as the novel on which it is based; that's a testament both to John
Grisham's storytelling and Sydney Pollack's vision. Paramount's Blu-ray release of The Firm could certainly use more extras, but the technical
quality is up to par. Highly recommended.
