The Whole Truth: Directed by Courtney Hunt and written by Nicolas Kazan using a pseudonym Rafael Jackson.
Keanu Reeves as a defense lawyer defending a teenager who killed his father and confessed to the crime. He also refuses to talk to his attorney. This makes his job almost impossible. This movie is intentionally deceiving in a lot of ways. The mystery of what actually happened is the entire crux of the movie and it was flimsy to say the least. You know right from the very beginning that the boy didn't kill his dad.
You get the sense that the kid is clearly protecting his mom. His mom is supposed to have been in this horrific abusive long relationship with Jim Belushi's character. It doesn't feel like it though. Renee Zellweger, an Oscar winner for Cold Mountain is just lifeless in this movie. Keanu Reeves has more personality than she does. We all know how limited he is. He's fine in this movie. He also is holding onto a secret.
This movie really hinges on this mystery. It tries to confuse you with different points of view as for how things happened. It doesn't necessarily walk into Rashomon territory but it runs close. It just does not work and the twist comes out of nowhere and doesn't begin to redeem this very lifeless movie. I give this movie a D.
Keanu Reeves as a defense lawyer defending a teenager who killed his father and confessed to the crime. He also refuses to talk to his attorney. This makes his job almost impossible. This movie is intentionally deceiving in a lot of ways. The mystery of what actually happened is the entire crux of the movie and it was flimsy to say the least. You know right from the very beginning that the boy didn't kill his dad.
You get the sense that the kid is clearly protecting his mom. His mom is supposed to have been in this horrific abusive long relationship with Jim Belushi's character. It doesn't feel like it though. Renee Zellweger, an Oscar winner for Cold Mountain is just lifeless in this movie. Keanu Reeves has more personality than she does. We all know how limited he is. He's fine in this movie. He also is holding onto a secret.
This movie really hinges on this mystery. It tries to confuse you with different points of view as for how things happened. It doesn't necessarily walk into Rashomon territory but it runs close. It just does not work and the twist comes out of nowhere and doesn't begin to redeem this very lifeless movie. I give this movie a D.