Murder in the First

Directed by Marc Rocco, Murder in the First follows Christian Slater’s James Stamphill as he attempts to mount a legal defense for a prisoner (Kevin Bacon’s Henri Young) accused of killing a fellow inmate within Alcatraz. Filmmaker Rocco, armed with a screenplay by Dan Gordon, delivers a somewhat erratic yet mostly compelling endeavor that benefits substantially from the first-class performances of its two stars, as both Slater and Bacon offer up career-best work that elevates the proceedings on an impressively recurring basis – with the actors’ top-notch efforts certainly matched by an eclectic supporting cast that includes Brad Dourif, William H. Macy, R. Lee Ermey, and Embeth Davidtz. (Gary Oldman is at his scenery-chewing best as the prison’s mustache-twirling associate prison warden, to be sure.) And while the 122 minute running time admittedly does result in some mid-movie narrative lulls, Murder in the First builds towards a satisfying final stretch that ensures it concludes on a memorable (albeit downbeat) note – with the end result a solid drama that’s impeccably acted by its central performers.

*** out of ****