The latest adaptation of a John Grisham courtroom drama is guilty! Guilty of an implausible story! Guilty of needlessly reworking the book's story to take aim at a gun company! But it's also a guilty pleasure--cranking up the drama with clever actors who ultimately salvage what's worth saving here. Dustin Hoffman is the moralizing plaintiff's attorney who goes toe-to-toe with the defense's jury consultant, Gene Hackman (who gets all the best lines), while John Cusack and accomplice Rachel Weisz keep busy by sneaking around, trying to blackmail everyone involved.
And just as you're about to pshaw another of the plot's inadequacies, the film distracts you with another twist. But the question remains: Did we have a good time? Um, guilty.