Lindie B
Excellent movie, Kiefer Sutherland!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
12/17/24
Full Review
Ben D
What a cool movie. The Cain Mutiny Court-Martial, unsurprisingly, is an updated version of the play of the same name. It is also something of a sequel to The Cain Mutiny (1954) starring Humphrey Bogart. Released after the passing of both the enigmatic, Lance Reddick and director (The Exorcist), William Friedkin (we did an homage episode to Friedkin here) this creation is a no-frills, purely dramatic acting, breath of fresh air. There are two settings: a military tribunal and an after-party. Through testimony and a few pieces of evidence, we learn what happened aboard the Cain on December 18, 2022, when Lieutenant Maryk (Jake Lacy) assumed command of the ship in the Persian Gulf. Those substantial questions like intent, motive, credibility, and mental fitness are ping-ponged across the courtroom through objections from counsel, Lieutenant Greenwald (Jason Clarke) and Lieutenant Commander Challee (Monica Raymund). There is not a wasted moment in the script, as we immediately see Lt. Greenwald chastising his client, Lt. Maryk, in the hallway. He tells him he believes he’s “guilty as hell” (para), which is not something you ever want to hear from your lawyer. However, Lt. Greenwald defends his client with deftness and brilliance, even if he saves his true thoughts for Lt. Maryk and his associates for the after-party. Somewhere during the trial, Greenwald has a change of heart that isn’t indicated with a face or pause. Legally, a cinema sin is Lt. Raymund correcting her own client on hearsay, which a lawyer would never do before an objection comes from opposing counsel. Also, I found it funny that out of the panel of several judges, only Capt. Blakley (Reddick) speaks, likely to save on paying those actors extra. The climax comes in the form of a stellar performance from Keefer Sutherland, the Captain of the U.S.S. Cain, not in the form of a “You can’t handle the truth!” outburst, but a prolonged deterioration focused on strawberries, etc. etc. Lt. Greenwald’s final toast (and final moment of the movie for that matter) is a tension-severing moment of physical drama. I loved it.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/31/24
Full Review
Gustavo Z
Hard to score because you have this all star cast that normally would pull most of what the do, but somehow it just doesn’t land as well as expected.
Sutherland’s acting is mostly his great style but at times it is just not there. Dale Dye’s presence as the eternal military actor, is just a big miss but still appreciated to see him wearing the uniform.
If you haven’t read the story, seen any of the retellings, you may already know where this is gonna go, there is no surprise, at least for the main plot. The real surprise is at the end.
I have to say this has a play feel level acting, but for me that doesn’t work on screen it’s distracting.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
08/13/24
Full Review
Francisco D
Nothing like the original. Masterpieces like that should be left alone unless you find a twist. Not in this case. There is no drama, simply because there is absolutely no sympathy for the accused. We do not know him, and why should we care? There's also not much to think about in terms of leadership and loyalty in the script.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
06/16/24
Full Review
Audience Member
>Review of a Review:
"I'm ex-Navy, and I've attended a court martial. I felt there was too much over-acting in this movie. Characters, especially the prosecuting attorney, seemed way too emotional for a military proceeding. Maybe it would've been less entertaining, but having characters act more professional and factual would have been more realistic to me."
-Dan E
Dear Dan E:
Friedkin pulls off a compelling courtroom drama all based in 1 setting with a few good actors, a good script, and a subtle finesse of camera angles. Sorry this portrayal wasn't as stodgy or starched as your Service Dress uniform. Perhaps a live feed of courtroom TV is more to your liking than film? It's a movie. It's fiction. Unfortunately, you can't handle the half-truth!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
06/13/24
Full Review
Dan E
I'm ex-Navy, and I've attended a court martial. I felt there was too much over-acting in this movie. Characters, especially the prosecuting attorney, seemed way too emotional for a military proceeding. Maybe it would've been less entertaining, but having characters act more professional and factual would have been more realistic to me. I also disagree with the ending, but won't go into details because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
06/03/24
Full Review
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