Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - Film Review
Jamie Foxx & Gerard Butler Play Cat and Mouse in this Taut Thriller
Nov 2, 2009
Law Abiding Citizen, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, is high on action and intrigue, stacked with solid performances, and loaded with social commentary. Set in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a state that still has the death penalty in cases of first degree murder, Law Abiding Citizen has a lot to say about the United States legal system and those who create, enforce, or interpret its tenets. Despite taking some liberties (but surprisingly less than it could have) with the law and weaving in scrutiny of the failings of American justice, Law Abiding Citizen still makes for a fast-flowing, artfully crafted tale.
Law Abiding Citizen is a Movie about Justice, Morality, and Despite Its Insistence Otherwise, Revenge
Written by Kurt Wimmer, Law Abiding Citizen is a well-devised thriller that locks audiences' attentions and provokes questions pertaining to what is right and what is the legal — and how ironically often the two don't coincide. It begins with a happy family destroyed by a vicious crime. Clyde Shelton, played by Gerard Butler (Timeline, 300, Gamer), is bound and forced to watch as his wife and child are savagely murdered by home invaders.
The criminals, Clarence Darby and Rupert Ames, are apprehended. Nick Rice, a successful prosecutor with a 96% conviction rate, is assigned to the case. Rice, played by Jamie Foxx (Ray, Miami Vice, The Soloist), informs Shelton that because DNA evidence was ruled inadmissible, Rice bartered a plea bargain with Darby's attorney in exchange for his testimony against Ames. Darby, although having been the actual murderer, would plea guilty to third-degree murder. He would only serve five years behind bars. The less culpable but still blameworthy Ames would get the death penalty.
Shelton begs Rice to reconsider, to take the case to trial. He's convinced Rice made the deal only to increase his conviction rate and advance his career. But the lack of admissible evidence and Shelton's questionable recollection (he blacked out before his daughter was murdered) make this implicit accusation somewhat ambiguous, Rice's motives likely a combination of practical and selfish constructs.
Ten years pass, and Ames is executed via lethal injection. Something goes wrong — Ames suffers horribly before he dies. It is soon revealed that Shelton tampered with the device. Darby is then trapped by Shelton, who painstakingly mutilates Darby more and more until he dies. A trail leads Rice and the Philadelphia Police Department to Shelton, who does not resist arrest.
But Shelton has far bigger plans than the deaths of Darby and Ames. His scheming threatens to destroy the entire Philadelphia justice system, using Rice as his reluctant pawn. Rice must uncover Shelton's plan as the death toll around him rises.
With Strong Performances, Good Direction, and a Compelling Story, Law Abiding Citizen Comes Close to Greatness . . . Save for One Undeniable Problem
Some reviews of Law Abiding Citizen are perhaps unfairly harsh on Foxx and Butler's performances. They describe Foxx as an arrogant, morally vacant prosecutor and Butler as a sadistic psychopath out solely for revenge. These one-dimensional traits are certainly defining characteristics of Rice and Shelton respectively, but they are not the characters' sole characteristics.
For example, Foxx skillfully reveals Rice's doubts and frailties through quiet emotions and subtle expressions. Butler's inner conflict is evident, revealed more definitively when the memories of his deceased wife and daughter are invoked. In dealing with Darby (although certainly Ames should have received the deal), perhaps Rice did exact as much justice as he could given the system's many imperfections. Rice's seemingly cold practicality prevails over Shelton's impassioned and tragedy-aroused sense of righteousness. The bigger picture decisions are hard, and their impacts are reflected soundly by both Foxx's and Butler's performances. It is their performances that drive Law Abiding Citizen.
But Foxx and Butler are not alone. Perhaps underrated and always effective, Bruce McGill (A Perfect World, The Insider, W.) puts in another strong showing as Rice's boss and friend, Jonas Cantrell. Colm Meaney (Far and Away, Con Air, Layer Cake) is solid as hard-nosed Detective Dunnigan. And Leslie Bibb (The Skulls, Iron Man, Iron Man 2) shines as Rice's career-minded protégé.
All are nicely puppeteered by Gray, waltzing through the script in splendid unison. Tension heightens, the pace is never slow, and the story is always interesting.
So What's Wrong with F. Gary Gray's Law Abiding Citizen?
Simply put, the ending is terrible. This article will not go into detail for spoiler purposes. However, after a finely scripted and acted battle unfolds, viewers are left with an ending not worthy of the film. It is anti-climatic, improbable, and simplistically dumb. It's almost (but not quite) as terrible as the unnecessary, Bollywood-defining dance seen that plagues the credits of Slumdog Millionaire.
With the last scenes of Law Abiding Citizen leaving viewers with a bad taste in their mouths after such a pleasant ride, does the film's pitiful closure ruin it entirely? No, but it certainly inhibits this film's potential and takes away from its earlier achievements. Still, Law Abiding Citizen is worthy of a watch, but no one should go out of his or her way to see it.
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