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Ashley Judd gives it her best in this "Stand By Your Man"-themed military film. Judd stars with her "Kiss the Girls" co-star Morgan Freeman and "Count of Monte Cristo's" Jim Caviezel in “High Crimes,” a thriller that exposes the hidden side of a loving spousal relationship.

Judd is Claire Kubik, a high-powered defense attorney living an affluent, happy life with her husband, Tom (cue the "Jaws" music, it's about to get dramatic). Everything she believes about her husband is tossed out the window as he is arrested at gunpoint by the FBI and charged with the deaths of innocent civilians during a military action in El Salvador. As the wife of a man who is accused of atrocious crimes during a covert military operation, Judd's torn between her love for her husband and the ugliness of the charges mixed with the possibility that the military's version of events is true. Deciding to be the supportive wife - and cutthroat defense attorney - she enlists the help of Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman), a wild card attorney with many bones to pick with the military.

The premise has been used before, many of the twists are predictably mapped out thus robbing them of their impact, and the writers throw in too many military clichés. It probably sounds as if I didn't like this film but that's not entirely true. The acting was first-rate and there were parts of the film that were downright riveting. It's just that where the story could have cut a fresh path, it chose to rely too heavily on tried and true plot points. I personally had a problem with a few of the scenes not being consistent with the film's ending, but to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, they are constricted by time restraints. Perhaps to answer those dangling storylines would have added another half an hour to the film - and we all know how well audiences hold up during long films.

Overall Grade: C

"High Crimes" is rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language.


Director: Carl Franklin
Producers: Arnon Milchan, Janet Yang and Jesse B'Franklin
Screenplay By: Yuri Zeltset and Cary Bickley
Director of Photography: Theo Van De Sande
Production Designer: Paul Peters
Film Editor: Carole Kravetz-Aykanian
Costume Designer: Sharen Davis
Music By: Graeme Revell
Casting: Mali Finn
Stunt Coordinator: Bobby Brown
Set Decorator: Kathryn Peters
Art Director: Gary Kosko

Claire Kubik - Ashley Judd
Tom Kubik - Jim Caviezel
Charlie Grimes - Morgan Freeman
Embry - Adam Scott
Jackie - Amanda Peet
Brig. General Marks - Bruce Davison
Mullins - Tom Bower
Major Hernandez - Juan Carlos Hernandez
Major Waldron - Michael Gaston
Colonel Farrell - Jude Ciccolella
Abbott - Michael Shannon
Oshman - John Billingsley
Lola - Dendrie Taylor
Gracie - Paula Jai Parker
Franklin - John Apicella