The Trials of Cate McCall (2014)

I really believe that a majority of people that evaluate films on IMDb are mostly interested in action adventures. And if there's not enough action, they type negative review and give low star ratings here. There's nothing wrong with this film, and I liked it since this story has a moral compass. When people learn the virtues of an honest life, the message to viewers is beneficial. I liked all the characters, and they did a great job. If a human interest story is of interest to you, then please check out this film. I love Kate Beckinsale in this film, and she played a great villain in Total Recall as well.

I will never know why some writers and directors ruin what was a good film with scenes that could not happen.When you have a courtroom drama where the Judge rules that witnesses have committed perjury it would be necessary for that judge to sign arrest warrants for the transgressors and this is totally ignored and has a detrimental effect in that some scenes that follow just could not happen.It is important in a courtroom drama that the film is accurate in respect of some legal matters so when it is not then in reality it spoils the whole film. It is well acted so the fact that the writer/director lets the cast down in this way is particularly annoying.

Review: I really enjoyed this intense courtroom drama about a top lawyer who takes on a case to try and free a girl from jail after being sentenced to life for murder. Although the evidence against the accused is full of lies and deceit, there still lies the question about the girls true innocence. I liked the different twists and turns throughout the movie and the performances made the movie intense and emotional. You really don't know what direction this movie is going to take because the lawyer is also a recovering alcoholic who is fighting to get custody of her little girl. When everything becomes a bit too much for the stressed out lawyer, she turns to Nick Note for guidance, who was a great choice by the director. Anyway, I didn't lose my interest throughout the movie because it's not predictable and it doesn't seem to drag, so I can honestly say that it's worth a watch. Enjoyable!Round-Up: It's weird watching Kate Beckinsale in a straight role after watching her shooting zombies and kicking butt in the Underworld franchise. She has starred in many top movies like The Aviator, Pearl Harbor and Total Recall but she still seems to stay under the Hollywood radar. Nick Nolte has also been out of the spotlight lately, which is a shame because I always rated him as an actor. Anyway, the whole cast performed well in this intense drama, but it didn't seem to have got a major release so it's another one of those films that will be under rated.Budget: $7million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into there intense courtroom dramas about a big time lawyer who has some serious personal issues but she still takes on a case to try and save a girl from her life sentence for murder. 6/10

This film had some potential, but a lack of decent characters other than our heroine hampers its dramatic development.Kate Beckinsale plays the title role in The Trials Of Cate McCall and she's an alcoholic lawyer whose main confidante is her AA sponsor Nick Nolte who looks like a hippie refugee from the Sixties. She's on a kind of probation from the bar association and gets assigned a real dog of a case from Anna Annissimova who's in jail for a brutal murder with lesbian overtones.Wouldn't you know it Beckinsale becomes a true believer and uncovers enough procedural errors in front of Judge James Cromwell an old law professor of her's to get the verdict set aside. The cops don't take it well and she's put through quite a ringer. Beckinsale is also having custodial issues with her ex-husband. Beckinsale's comeback is assured, but the film is far from over.I think with a bit better writing this could have been a major triumph. Beckinsale's character was too self indulgent and inclined to spend a lot of time on the pity pot. Nolte was interesting however, his character obviously based on William Kunstler.Passable drama, but nothing more.