John Grisham’s The Rainmaker

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, John Grisham’s The Rainmaker follows newly-minted lawyer Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) as he and Danny DeVito’s Deck Shifflet prepare a massive wrongful-death lawsuit against a large insurance company. Filmmaker Coppola delivers a deliberate yet mostly engrossing drama that certainly benefits from its atmospheric Memphis-based visuals and raft of above-average performances, with, in terms of the latter, Damon’s star-making turn matched by a roster of such stellar periphery players as Mickey Rourke, Roy Scheider, and Danny Glover. It’s perhaps not surprising to note that the picture, like most Grisham adaptations, boasts an ongoing emphasis on the nitty-gritty of legal work that proves awfully difficult to resist, as Coppola’s methodical screenplay explores the ins and outs of preparing (and trying) a high-profile case to an extent that is, for the most part, nothing short of fascinating. The ensuing momentum, which is impressively propulsive, paves the way for a tense and decidedly engrossing third act, and the satisfying finale undoubtedly ensures that the whole thing concludes on a palpably positive note – with the end result a better-than-average legal drama that surely ranks high on the list of cinematic John Grisham adaptations.

***1/2 out of ****