The Firm

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Robert M The Firm stands as a masterclass in the legal thriller genre, a film that, even decades after its release, holds up as a captivating and meticulously crafted piece of cinema. Tom Cruise delivers one of his most compelling performances as Mitch McDeere, a bright, ambitious Harvard Law graduate whose dream job at a prestigious Memphis firm quickly spirals into a waking nightmare. The film masterfully builds a sense of unease, slowly peeling back the layers of the firm's glamorous facade to reveal a sinister underbelly tied to the Mafia. Director Sydney Pollack's steady hand guides the audience through a complex web of legal jargon, moral dilemmas, and high-stakes suspense, ensuring that every plot point feels earned and every twist is genuinely surprising. The supporting cast is phenomenal, with Gene Hackman's nuanced portrayal of Avery Tolar being a particular highlight, providing a mentor figure who is both charming and deeply compromised. The film's pacing is exceptional; it's a slow burn that builds tension with each passing minute, culminating in a pulse-pounding finale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Furthermore, the film’s exploration of corruption, ambition, and the price of success remains incredibly relevant. The Firm is more than just a thriller; it's a smart, stylish, and engaging character study that solidifies its place as a timeless classic. It’s a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a well-told story with a brilliant cast and a thrilling plot. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review Ava S Although The Firm begins at a snail's pace, its mystery quickly gains momentum, morphing into a solid thriller brimming with paranoia, secrecy, and moments of investigative goodness. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/23/25 Full Review Ola G Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise), a top Harvard Law School graduate, accepts a lucrative offer from boutique law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke in Memphis, Tennessee. After he and wife Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn) relocate there, he prepares for the Tennessee bar exam. Senior partner Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman) mentors Mitch on the firm's strict culture of loyalty, confidentiality, and high fees. Although the money and benefits, such as a new house, a Mercedes-Benz, and paid-off student loans have swayed Mitch, Abby resents the firm's meddling in employees' personal lives. Mitch passes the bar exam and works grueling hours, straining his marriage. Under Avery's guidance, Mitch discovers the firm's primary work involves helping wealthy clients hide money in offshore shell corporations and other questionable tax-avoidance schemes. On a work trip to the Cayman Islands, Mitch overhears a client mentioning how the firm's Chicago associates "break legs”. At the firm's Cayman condominium, he finds documents linked to four deceased associates. Meanwhile, the firm's security chief, Bill DeVasher, sends a prostitute to seduce Mitch and uses photos of the assignation to blackmail him into silence. Mitch hires private investigator Eddie Lomax (Gary Busey), a former cell mate of Mitch’s brother Ray, to investigate the associates' deaths, but Lomax is murdered by hitmen, witnessed by his secretary Tammy (Holly Hunter). FBI agents reveal to Mitch that BL&L's top client is the Morolto crime family of the Chicago Outfit, and most of the firm's lawyers are involved in a significant tax fraud and money laundering scheme... Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus states: "The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented." Roger Ebert gave The Firm three stars out of four, remarking: "The movie is virtually an anthology of good small character performances. [...] The large gallery of characters makes The Firm into a convincing canvas [... but] with a screenplay that developed the story more clearly, this might have been a superior movie, instead of just a good one with some fine performances." The film earned some negative reviews as well, notably from James Berardinelli, who said that "Very little of what made the written version so enjoyable has been successfully translated to the screen, and what we're left with instead is an overly-long [and] pedantic thriller." Grisham enjoyed the film, remarking: "I thought [Tom Cruise] did a good job. He played the innocent young associate very well." (Via Wikipedia) I saw "The Firm" at the movies for sure back in 1993, and it was time to re-see it. We get a great ensemble cast with Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman (Rest in peace) in the leading roles, but I think the issue with the film is that the storyline is not all that exciting nor unique and to be honest the film is overly-long as mentioned. It could´ve been edited down to two hours for sure and become a much more intense thriller. This is not amongst Tom Cruise's best ones. Interesting to see is that he had the Mission Impossible running in him already back in 1993. ; ) "The Firm" is ok, but not much more for me. Trivia: Released on June 30, 1993, the film was a major commercial success, grossing $270.2 million against a budget of $42 million, making it the highest grossing film adapted from a Grisham novel, fifth highest-grossing and the highest-grossing R-rated film of 1993, and received generally positive reviews for the performances (particularly from Cruise and Hunter), although the screenplay received some criticism. Holly Hunter was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, while Dave Grusin was nominated for Best Original Score. (Via Wikipedia) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/06/25 Full Review Devra B I love this movie—suspenseful story, amazing acting. Highly recommend. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/28/25 Full Review Le S The plot goes rather weak at the end, but the real star of the film is its Casting Director. I mean, how cool is to have Jigsaw, and Special Agent Hank Schrader team up against Tom Cruise? Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/20/25 Full Review Chris H A well crafted and intelligent thriller with some interesting ideas. It's a John Grisham tale, so of course it's about lawyers and it's set in the Deep South; nothing wrong with that. There is one howler though; it's simply impossible to believe that Cruise's decent and devoted husband could go off with a random woman he meets on a beach (this is a set up, of course - most things are in this story). He just wouldn't. Anyway, that aside, Cruise does what Cruise does, Gene Hackman is terrific, as is Jeanne Tripplehorn, but Holly Hunter steals the show as the secretary of a private investigator who meets a sticky end, after which she becomes the resourceful confidante of Cruise's lawyer. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/17/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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