Barbed, vile, and shallow...

Rating: 4/10 (6 November 2005)

Big-budget ugliness from the novel by Andrew Neiderman: cocky Florida lawyer with an unblemished record is recruited by a mysterious firm in New York City. The leading part is filled by Keanu Reeves, who keeps getting high-profile roles despite the fact he has yet to give a truly in-depth, focused performance; Al Pacino looks drained as the head of the firm (Pacino, an unquestionably brilliant actor, seems at a crossroads, taking parts which are beneath him or are derivations of past characterizations); Charlize Theron is degraded as Reeves' wife (she's only there to play victim). Tacky direction by Taylor Hackford, whose nasty streak and misogyny quickly turns these proceedings into a sour downer. The film is handsomely-produced but terribly overlong, foulmouthed, perpetually nasty and bitter, although audiences didn't seem to mind. ** from ****