classicsoncall Review of The Whole Truth

The Whole Truth (2016)

"...every defense lawyer has to choose between his own need to know the truth and the best interests of his client."

[7/10 · 26 May 2021]

The film tires to be just a little too clever with the final twist that brings the story to a conclusion. There are hints along the way that could help you figure out who killed Boone Lassiter (Jim Belushi), but it takes a while to get there. All the while you think Boone's son (Gabriel Basso) is taking the blame for his abused Mom (Renée Zellweger) for the murder, even though there was ample provocation and a good self defense argument to be made on his behalf. I actually thought the not guilty verdict was somewhat questionable given the defense strategy of attorney Ramsey (Keanu Reeves). What the courtroom scenes revealed more than anything else was the idea that character witnesses often have reason to lie, or at least not tell the whole truth about what they know in the interest of self preservation. Why son Mike didn't spill his guts on the real killer is probably the biggest mystery here, as he had no cause to protect Ramsey, even if he was a long time family friend. You would think his devotion to his mother would have been the clincher.