Jade

Directed by William Friedkin, Jade follows David Caruso’s Assistant District Attorney David Corelli as he’s drawn into a murder case involving a wide range of suspects (and eventually victims). Filmmaker Friedkin, working from Joe Eszterhas’ screenplay, delivers an erratic yet mostly satisfying thriller that progresses through a relatively propulsive narrative with a compelling mystery at its core, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the movie’s perpetually watchable atmosphere is heightened by its above-average performances and smattering of electrifying sequences. (Caruso’s magnetic turn is certainly emblematic of the former, while the latter is reflected keenly in a top-notch and thoroughly exciting car chase that does, at one point, slowly make its way through a busy parade.) And although the picture eventually builds towards a somewhat anticlimactic and surprisingly incoherent finale, which is such a head-scratcher that the identity of the killer isn’t even that clear, Jade nevertheless (and for the most part) comes off as an entertaining Caruso vehicle that fares better than its reputation might’ve suggested.

*** out of ****