We Find the Defendant... Entertaining

As a birth-born resident of the city of Boston, I've always been interested in films that focus on cities or locations in the state of Massachusetts. Even if the films aren't of the higher quality (I'm looking at you, overrated Mystic River) the locations and aesthetics just feel like home, making the theater feel cozy and warm. And from the misty, haunted asylum of Shutter Island to the gritty Charlestown grotto of The Town to the blue-collar Lowell of Oscar-nominated The Fighter, 2010 was a big year for the Bay State. One that might have slipped under your radar however is this small gem that didn't do a lot at the box office, but nevertheless confidently tells the haunting true story of false imprisonment and uplifting redemption surrounding the Ayer arrest of Kenneth Walters in 1983. Conviction didn't draw much of an audience, mostly due to little or no marketing, and failed to capture even local Massachusetts audiences in the numbers other films handily made. The film even has heralded stars in two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank and underrated performer Sam Rockwell. So how IS the film? I was interested enough to find out.

Let the record show that Juliette Lewis has forgotten her lines

Betty Ann Walters (Swank) is a mother and happy woman in the year 1983. Married with two children, she has a strong relationship with her brother Kenny (Rockwell), a devoted family man with a string of minor crimes on his rap sheet. When he's arrested for the murder of Ayer resident Katharina Brow, Betty Ann is the only one who seems to believe that he didn't commit the crime. The police match his blood type to the crime scene. Family and friends who have witnessed his violent ways in the past act nonchalant and surprised at this apparent development. Only Betty Ann, with memories of the caring and loving brother she grew up alongside, refuses to believe this. Over the span of eighteen years, the endeavors to complete her schooling, enter law school and pass the bar to try and get her brother's sentence overturned. Obstacles block her every path, but her resolution and determination drive her forward.

Whitey Bulger, however, walks free

When you first witness the blood-splattered crimes scene that is presented in the film's first few minutes, you might get the impression that you're in for a terribly depressing tale. The setup for the film follows this path, with scenes of Kenny's trial and sentencing and various flashbacks to the duo's unloved childhood painting a bleak picture for what is to follow. All that changes, however, when Betty Ann goes back to school and the rest of the film is as inspiring and uplifting as it had been dark before. It makes for a surprising turn, and I was pleasantly surprised how much better the film got because of it.

I didn't know the law library had copies of "Little Bo Peep"

The acting here is top notch, led by the simply amazing performances of Swank and Rockwell, who could easily have earned award nominations for their work had the film sold better and gotten more supporters. Swank especially is inspiring as the real-life crusader, who loses so much in pursuit of justice, not the least of which her marriage. Despite this, her single-minded quest to find her brother innocent makes for a riveting portrayal, one in which you find yourself wanting her to succeed against all odds. Rockwell is also amazing and surprisingly sympathetic as Kenny; I say surprisingly because, not to judge, but Kenny is played as kind of a dick. Short temper, bad relationship decisions, violent outbursts: everything that most people would hate, and most in the film as least are put off by his character. Kenny is given some saving graces: the obvious love he harbors for his daughter, and the care he's always had for his sister. Most actors would have fumbled this role but Rockwell (seriously, why couldn't he have gotten a nomination for the tragically underrated Moon?) manages to make the character someone to fight for, a mean feat in itself. A worthy supporting cast of Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis, and Peter Gallagher fill the proper narrative holes with solid performances, though only Driver is given material substantial enough to stand out. This is a film that really relies on its stars to shine, so at least that part worked out.

Don't be sad, Hilary. We'll get you that third Oscar soon!

The film does have some problems, most notably the massive weight of the tale's message. Obviously the ability to perform DNA testing was a huge milestone for crime investigation, but the film's critical eye towards those detectives in not back-checking every murder and rape case to make sure they got the right guy is not a little overwrought. We're pretty much told outright that the law is corrupt and attempting to keep Kenny down, rather than being open to the possibility of simple incompetence. I was actually okay with this for the most part, but when Betty Ann tells one character that after eighteen years, Kenny "would be dead by now" if the state had instituted the death penalty, it was about as damning as you can get. Whatever your opinion on the death penalty, you can't help but be put off by the statement, as it seems to take the film in directions unneeded. But the biggest problem I had were the myriad flashback scenes showing how tough the main characters had it growing up. Some scenes would have been fine, but director Tony Goldwyn didn't know where to stop, forced only by the continuing narrative of the film to stop showing little kids pretend to be actors.

With a message so heavy it would make Kendrick Farris wince, it's fortunate that the strong story and inspiring acting keep the film on track and as uplifting as possible. While Swank and Rockwell should have gotten more attention for their performances, Conviction settles on that second tier of film quality, not quite good enough to run with the big boys but enough to recommend for a casual rental, or at least that's what this jury has concluded.

Version 2.0

Today's review is for Barney's Version, based on the 1997 Mordecai Richler novel and starring 2011 Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti. It would be fair to say that Giamatti's nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical was the main reason I wanted to see this film. A trailer seen not long after those nominations cemented it as a film of interest. Sadly, movies of this ilk tend to keep holding patterns active in limited release and wait until the Oscars are announced before making the final push for box office success. Sometimes this works, as films like Black Swan and The King's Speech made a lot of money in limited release before Oscar nominations and wide release. Sometimes, however, this backfires when a film garners no major nominations and pretty much missed their chance at the big payday. Barney's Version is the perfect example, as here was a chance to really push Paul Giamatti as a major acting force left instead in a gutter by the wayside. But that has to do with marketing and number crunching, which isn't my forte. So how does this title stand up as a film in its own right?

Challenging the idea that one can't look TOO Jewish

The film tells the life story of Barney Panofsky (Giamatti), from his youth as a layabout in Italy through the marriages to his three ex-wives (played by Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver and Rachelle LeFevre), the disappearance and presumed death of his chemically-addicted best friend Boogie (Scott Speedman), and to the present day, where he recounts all this in the wake of his latest divorce and continued accusations of responsibility for Boogie's death by the detective who originally accused him. The story is presented from Barney's version of the facts (hence the title), and Barney himself is an uncomplicated character, making motions through life until he meets his true, and then does everything he can to keep her with him.

"I'm so high...look at my thumb! Weird..."

I've never read the book by Richler, so while I can't say I was a big fan of the film's story as a whole, I can't be sure if this is a problem inherent in the novel or simply in the transposing of the tale to the big screen. Barney's Version can't seem to decide what kind of movie it is. The film goes from being a coming-of-age tale to a romantic comedy, dabbling in buddy films and gross-out humor, and managing to incorporate a murder mystery between the margins as well. This is unfortunate because with such a jumbled storyline it's difficult to get a gauge on what we're supposed to be feeling towards the characters, especially Barney, who appears to go to and fro along the sympathy scale without any clear destination. This might not sound bad to those reading this, but trust me when I say that I'm sure this works much better in a four-hundred page book than a 132-minute movie. Also of some concern was the film's makeup, which garnered an Oscar nom but nevertheless couldn't make Giamatti look the same age as his cohorts at any given time. I suppose they deserve credit for getting CLOSE enough.

May it last longer than the first two

The performances, however, are what make the film as good as it is. Giamatti especially makes it onto a very long list of lead actors who SHOULD have been nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars but didn't make the cut of final five (talk about a category that could benefit from expanding to ten nominees). Though his character goes through a few periods where the audience would be fully forgiven for thinking him a complete and utter douchebag, Barney is more often than not a good man who falls in love, loses and gains friends and enemies, and undergoes a life transformation over the course of, well, his life. Often he's the main reason I kept my eyes on the screen, and for much of the film qualifies as it's savior. Rosamund Pike is also charming as Barney's third wife Miriam, who is the love of Barney's life, the one and only. Though you can't escape that Pike looks years younger than Giamatti at all points during the film (she's only two years older than ME, folks), their relationship is shown in a very realistic manner, and Giamatti can't take all the credit for that. While Pike is forced to work under a lot of aging make-up during the film's run, she still manages to convey a different type of heart than we've seen from her before. Not to be outdone are the first two wives, played by Lefevre and Driver. Lefevre, whose biggest role to date was the role of Victoria in the first two Twilight films (and lost that role in the third by committing to this one), takes a small role and makes it hers as the snotty young woman Barney knocked up to become his first wife. Driver's career prime may not have been as high as some hoped or expected, but she's still delightful here as his shrill, overly-emotional second. Scott Speedman puts on one of the better performances I've seen from him as Barney's talented but troubled best friend, and Mark Addy makes a nice turn as a hard-nose detective sure Barney is guilty of murder. Last and unfortunately least is Dustin Hoffman as Barney's ex-cop father. Hoffman is in his "Focker" phase, with the cliche Jewish persona in full effect. He's not BAD, per se, he's simply played this role far too long and far too often, and it shows. While he still cranks out the occasional award-nominated roles, this isn't one of them.

Is the makeup making him look older or younger? I can't tell

There were times where I really wanted to get up and walk out of the theater. There were times I was sure I was seeing a masterpiece. Unfortunately, these were parts of the same film. While Giamatti deserves every great attemtion for his role in Barney's Version, the movie itself is mainly blah. It ties up every loose end with an annoying lack of subtlety, and while the ending gets up there in the "masterpiece" rating, it doesn't make up for the rest of the film not getting the job done. Not a great movie, by any stretch, but I'd recommend it just to see Giamatti and crew exchange good dialogue over the decades.