Just Cause

Based on a book by John Katzenbach, Just Cause follows crusading law professor Paul Armstrong (Sean Connery) as he agrees to look into the case of a black man (Blair Underwood’s Bobby Earl) accused of murdering a young white girl. Just Cause is ultimately a slick and mostly entertaining thriller that benefits substantially from atmospheric visuals and strong performances, with, in terms of the latter, Connery’s typically engaging work matched by an eclectic supporting cast that includes Laurence Fishburne, Ned Beatty, and Ed Harris. (The latter, playing a notorious and very insane serial killer, delivers an appealingly, unapologetically broad turn that remains a sporadic highlight.) The movie’s fairly run-of-the-mill first half doesn’t inspire much confidence, however, with the passable yet far-from-spectacular vibe compounded by a repetitive structure and often excessively deliberate pace (ie scripters Jeb Stuart and Peter Stone place a continued emphasis on Paul’s less-than-engrossing investigation into the murder). It’s just as apparent, though, that Just Cause improves significantly as it charges into its almost ludicrously over-the-top third act, as the movie abandons any pretense of plausibility in favor of a twists-and-turns heavy final stretch that culminates in a swampy battle to the death (complete with alligators!) The end result is, to say the least, an erratic piece of work that nevertheless holds one’s interest throughout, and it’s certainly impossible not to get a kick out of any film in which Sean Connery delivers the following line: “If that’s a confession then my ass is a banjo!”

*** out of ****