Reasonable Doubt (2014) Dominic Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson, Gloria Reuben, Ryan Robbins, Erin Karpluk Movie Review

Reasonable Doubt (2014)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Dominic Cooper in Reasonable Doubt (2014)

Serial Misser

After a night out with his colleagues, up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockton (Dominic Cooper) foolishly decides to drive home and trying to avoid the police ends up involved in a fatal hit and run. Having fled from the scene Mitch learns that mechanic Clinton Davis (Samuel L. Jackson) is being charged and feeling guilt that this man could end up sentenced for a crime he didn't commit pushes to take the case so that he can throw it and see that Davis gets off. But shortly after achieving this Mitch's life starts to unravel as he realises that maybe there is more to this case than he thinks with Davis being not as innocent as he thought.

For a while "Reasonable Doubt" plays out in a reasonably predictable manner with a storyline which seems like it is a rehash of other movies. I am on about the set up of a young man with a promising career committing a crime and then trying to cover up his actions only to find himself not only with pangs go guilt but then blackmailed by someone who appears to know something. And to be honest whilst it is entertaining enough it is a storyline which has been told a surprising number of times before that you don't expect to be that surprised by the movie.

Samuel L. Jackson in Reasonable Doubt (2014)

But that is not the USP of "Reasonable Doubt" as there is an extra element to this when it comes to what actually happened on the night that Mitch ran in to a man and then fled from the scene. And it is an element which gives the movie that bit of life to make it interesting although I wouldn't say original because there are other movies which do something similar. But, and there is a but, the way this side of the movie is put across is so unsubtle and cliche filled that it ends up making "Reasonable Doubt" an ordinary thriller with many a scene ending up ridiculous.

There is though one other thing I need to mention as both Dominic Cooper and Samuel L. Jackson are good actors but both end up giving distinctly average performances here. Neither of them manages to make much of an impression and it contributes to the end result which is a movie which lacks anything to make it memorable.

What this all boils down to is that is "Reasonable Doubt" could have been a very good movie but only ends up a distinctly average one lacking the subtlety and intelligence to make the story really work.


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