The Chamber (1996)

The Chamber (1996): Dir: James Foley / Cast: Chris O'Donnell, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry: Title suggests past torments locked away. Chris O'Donnell plays an attorney whose grandfather is on death row for blowing up a building killing several children. He has 28 days to prove that his grandfather wasn't alone. Faye Dunaway appears as the victim's daughter who reflects upon her father's racial past. After the sentence, the attorney's father leaves behind a suicide note. While not the most pleasant film to engage in, director James Foley does a fine job at creating tension. O'Donnell carries himself well as the lead, who learns much about his family past as well as lure out the guilty. It is obvious that he will accomplish what he came for but the ending regarding his grandfather, particularly the nod by a black inmate seems contrived. Gene Hackman delivers a strong performance as the convict. Dunaway creates the only interesting supporting role as Hackman's daughter who gives insight into the past. Supporting roles are not very broad or interesting. Well made film based on the John Grisham book, and certainly in better standing than the corrupt A Time to Kill and its warped message. It isn't an entertaining outing but its theme of redemption and rekindled love make up for film's shortcomings. Score: 7 ½ / 10

Having survived the hatred and bigotry that was his Klansman grandfather's only legacy, young attorney Adam Hall seeks at the last minute to appeal his death sentence for the murder of two small Jewish boys 30 years before. Only four weeks before he is to be executed, Adam meets his grandfather for the first time in the Mississippi prison which has held him since the crime.....The only reason to see this film is for Hackman's central performance. Whenever he's on screen, he's mesmerising, and at times, pretty terrifying. But, the same cannot be said for the rest of the film.It's easily the poorest adaptation of a Grisham novel, and this was when his stories were being churned out every other month, much like young adult novels today.It's as if the studio threw money at it, plastered the writers name everywhere, and hope it would succeed, but it didn't.It's too long, the narrative and direction are terrible, and O'Donnell has the screen presence of that sandwich Tom Cruise ate in Minority Report. He shows no emotion, has no depth, and the final scene where he is running, is funny for all the wrong reasons.The support is there, but no matter how prolific the actor/actress maybe, they suffer because the character is so stereotyped.Come the end, you are. More relieved for Hackman, rather than shocked.One wasted opportunity.

If you like thrillers set inside the legal systems, the stories by Grisham is one of the best. He is a master of including both small and big twists and turns, writing in layers of secrets that can be revealed along the way. Although, according to the trivia, Grisham says this is one of the adaptations he likes least, I think it still is a very good movie that incorporates these layers and most of the essence in a Grisham story. Of course, the book is much more complex, much more intense, so if you like the movie I can really recommend reading the book.The Chamber is about the young lawyer, Adam Hall, that returns to his family's roots in Mississippi, where one of the family's dark secrets is hidden. His grandfather, Sam Cayhall, is on death row for a fatal bombing carried out by the Klu Klux Klan, scheduled to be executed in just a few days. Adam is his last chance. But Sam is not really cooperative, and even though the bombing was in the sixties, secrets are very much still in play, powerful and dangerous.I think the movie do capture enough of the book to be an intense and suspenseful movie, very much thanks to Gene Hackman's acting. Even though I have seen the movie a couple of times, read the book, I still find it intense. The movie is both durable and stands the test of time. That is the mark of a real good thriller.7/10

Spoilers.This is a wholly unremarkable, but also inoffensive, adaptation of a John Grisham novel that serves only to make me believe I haven't really missed a lot by never reading any of the good Mr. Grisham's work. The plot follows a familiar template for the legal thriller: the dynamic young lawyer taking on a lost cause (for whatever reason), the unsympathetic villain languishing on death row, the increasingly desperate legal measures taken by the lawyer to win the day, the behind-the-scenes political intrigues that assure as many obstacles as possible are put in the lawyer's way. Usually, the prisoner receives a last minute reprieve, but not in this case; here we join racist redneck Gene Hackman in his last few moments as he is strapped into the eponymous chamber and struggles to hold his breath while the poisonous gas swirls invisibly around him. Foam issues from his mouth as the gas takes effect, and you wonder why you had to see that. The only reason I can think of is because the film was made one year after Dead Man Walking.Gene Hackman is as good as you'd expect him to be; he must be one – if not the – greatest actors of his generation, and he makes young Chris O'Donnell look wholly insipid. To be fair to O'Donnell, there isn't that much in his character to grab hold of – the only characteristic he has is the desire to see his grandpappy saved from the chamber. And when the poor lad isn't being acted off the screen by Hackman he has to contend with Faye Dunaway giving one of the better performances of her later career as Hackman's alcoholic daughter, who is haunted by the mistaken belief that she may have prevented a murder she witnessed as a child had she not chosen to remain silent at the fateful moment.The Chamber isn't a classic by any measure, but it's probably better than its rating on this site might lead you to believe, although judging by some of the comments you might enjoy it more if you haven't read the book on which it is based.