The Client

Plot synopsis:
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), his mother (Mary-Louise Parker), and his younger brother (David Speck) live in a small trailer in Memphis, Tennessee. Mark, a young, street-smart kid, distracts his mother and steals two cigarettes from her purse while she rushes to get ready for her blue-collar job. After she leaves, Mark and Ricky play in the woods and Mark teaches Ricky to smoke. When they hear a car coming, they panic. They throw the cigarettes down and hide behind some bushes.A big man gets out of the car, runs a hose from the tailpipe into the window, and gets back in the car. Mark figures out he's trying to kill himself, tells his terrified brother to stay put. Mark pulls the hose from the tailpipe. When the man realizes that something is wrong, he gets out and replaces the hose in the tailpipe. Mark tries to remove it again but the drunk man catches him, hits him and throws him in his car.The man tells Mark that since he's so nosy, they should die together. The man says he is Jerome Clifford, Attorney at Law. But he says that since they're both pretty tight to just call him "Romy." As he's talking, Mark notices a gun lying between them. Mark asks Jerome why hes trying to kill himself. He responds that if he doesn't kill himself, his client Barry 'The Blade' Muldano will because Jerome knows where the body of Boyd Boyett, a man The Blade killed, is buried. He tells Mark where it is, but we can't hear what he says. He says the body is still there and no one will ever find it. Mark suddenly picks up the gun and points it at Jerome. Jerome encourages Mark to pull the trigger, but Jerome can't do it. Jerome takes the gun away and says "let's see if it works." He shoots the gun near Mark's head and Mark escapes from the car. He takes Ricky and runs as Jerome chases after them, yelling, "If The Blade finds out what you know, he's going to kill you anyway." He stops, puts the gun in his mouth, and pulls the trigger. Ricky sees the entire act and is severely traumatized. Mark takes Ricky home and returns to the scene.Mark watches from hiding while the police remove Jerome's body away but they discover him. Sergeant Hardy (Will Patton) brings Mark home where his mother is trying to get Ricky to respond, but Ricky won't talk. She asks Mark what happened. Mark says he and Ricky discovered Jerome dead with the gun in his mouth and that Ricky hasn't talked since. Sergeant Hardy returns and takes Mark to the hospital, asking him questions on the way. He asks Mark if he is telling the truth, and then asks him if the name Jerome Clifford means anything to him. Mark says no. The officer says that he found two cigarettes near the scene, the same brand his mother smokes. Mark tells the officer that he was walking through the woods when he found Romy dead. Hardy asks who Romy is. He says the only name he used was Jerome Clifford.We then see a Reverend Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) watching the story on the news. Roy also happens to be the D.A. in the case for Senator Boyd Boyett's murder and is running for governor. Without Boyd Boyett's body and Jerome dead, Mr. Foltrigg has no case. Back at the hospital, Sergeant Hardy gives Mark a Sprite. He says he thinks Mark is lying and that Mark was in Jerome's car. He even teases him for being so poor and tries to scare him by saying if he doesn't tell the truth, Ricky could end up in a dumpy institution with snakes and bugs. A nurse interrupts and takes Mark to Ricky's room. The doctor says Ricky has post traumatic stress disorder and is in a coma. As he continues to talk, Mark sees Sergeant Hardy putting Marks Sprite can in a plastic bag. Mark runs after him, but the officer is already in the elevator, smirking. Mark wanders into a waiting room, where he finds a flier for a law firm on the ground.Back with Roy Foltrigg, his people are telling him Marks story and they don't believe it because they found Marks fingerprints all over the car. Roy deduces that Jerome must have told Mark where the body is and that's why he's lying. He demands to speak with Mark right away. Mark goes to the law firm in his flier and finds lawyer Regina "Reggie" Love (Susan Sarandon). Hes reluctant to have her represent him before he has to talk with the FBI and Mr. Foltrigg because shes a woman, but shes interested in his case because she has a grudge against Roy. He says he doesn't know why hes being harassed just because he saw some sweaty, fat guy commit suicide. Reggie asks why he lied to the police and told them he just found Jerome. He says he didn't lie and Reggie tells him that dead men don't sweat. He admits that he did see Jerome alive before he killed himself, but doesn't tell her he talked to him. Reggie agrees to take his case and Mark pays her a dollar.Meanwhile in New Orleans, The Blade is getting scolded by his boss, Uncle Johnny for telling Jerome too much and says the kids might know too much now as well. So he tells The Blade to move the body just in case. Not able to trust Barry, Uncle Johnny sends another hit man, Rocky, to "take care of" the kids. Back with Mark, Roy and his people are interrogating Mark. He asks if he needs a lawyer before talking to him and they tell him no. He gives them the run around until Roy flat out asks him about the body, and to that Mark demands to go the the bathroom. Eventually, Reggie returns, accusing them of unlawful interrogation, which they deny, but Reggie plays a tape of their conversation, catching them all in a lie. Roy insists that he has proof Mark is lying and was in the car with Jerome, but Reggie accuses him of hypocrisy.When Reggie leaves, she begins speaking with Marks mother, who begins telling Reggie about her dreams and how all she ever wanted was a white house and walk-in closet. Later, Reggie is trying to get the truth out of Mark. But Mark insists he was not in Jerome's car. Reggie eventually leaves Mark in the waiting room, where a man hired by Rocky to get close to Mark gives Mark candy and begins to talk with him, prying for information. Mark notices something isn't right and leaves. Late that night, Mark goes to get something to eat, but is held at knife point by Rocky in the elevator. Rocky threatens Mark not to talk to the FBI or hell be killed. The next day, Mark goes to Reggie and refuses to talk to the FBI. Before Reggie can say much shes notified that Roy and the FBI are on their way. Mark hides while Reggie talks to them. They have proof that Marks story is not true. This flusters Reggie but she manages to stay calm by pointing out that they illegally obtained evidence and shell expose Mr. Foltrigg if they go near Mark again. His illegal actions wouldn't look good for a man running for governor of Louisiana. Mr. Foltrigg reveals that Reggie was once in rehab; this shocks Mark. Reggie manages to get rid of them and, infuriated, confronts Mark about his lies. Mark accuses her of being the liar, fires her, and storms out. She follows him and he jumps in her car upon seeing the media circus outside of the hospital.Reggie goes to her house, but Mark demands to be taken back the hospital. Reggie refuses to take him anywhere until he tells her the truth. He declines and tries, in vain, to hitchhike. A car drives up, but Mark sees that its the man he didnt feel right about in the waiting room. Afraid, he runs to Reggie's house. Hes angry at first, but Reggie gets him to talk to her. Mark reveals that his father used to get drunk and beat him and his mother which is why he was so mad when he found out about Reggie's past. Reggie begins talking about her children and ex-husband until Mark feels comfortable enough to tell her the whole truth, including Rocky's threat. Reggie, alarmed, begins to call to get Mark someplace safe. Outside, Rocky and two other hit men talk about going in, killing Reggie and kidnapping Mark. One of them has an idea and they burn Marks trailer as a warning instead. Marks mother hears the news at the hospital and, having lost her job as well, is devastated. She yells at Reggie and tells her Mark already has a mother and kicks her out of the room. After Reggie leaves the police come to take Mark into custody until he talks to the FBI. In custody, Mark asks for a phone to call his mother, and prank orders pizzas to the police department. Meanwhile Reggie is trying to get Mark out. She talks to a friend of hers about getting Mark to talk only if he and his family can get into the Witness Protection Program afterwards. Shes frustrated when they cant guarantee it to her, but gets Mark out to talk anyway. Mark says whatever he does he could get killed anyway and she cant let them ask any questions. She cant promise him anything but says he cant lie if they do get him on the stand.In court, Roy and the FBI brow beat Mark to talk but Reggie diverts them any way she can. Eventually they get Mark on the stand and struggle to get information, but he eventually pleads the fifth and decides he'd rather go back to jail until everything is sorted out than risk he and his family's life. Meanwhile The Blade is meeting with Uncle Johnny and they decide Mark has gotten too close to talking and he must be killed. Back at the jail, Mark is found on the ground, barely conscious, soaked in sweat, and heart beating extremely rapidly. They rush him to the hospital where he escapes from his gurney, only to find that Rocky has followed him there. A chase between Mark and Rocky ensues, but Mark manages to get away. He calls Reggie's home and tells her he faked a post traumatic stress attack in order to escape from jail. Reggie says shes coming to pick him up.Reggie manages to sneak Mark in her car and Mark says hes thinking about Witness Protection now. But Jerome was drunk so the body may not be where he said. Reggie says they have to know where the body is before Mark gets any protection. Mark convinces Reggie they have to go to New Orleans and make sure the body is where Romy said it was, under Romy's own boat in Romy's boat house. Reggie is very reluctant, but agrees. Meanwhile, The Blade is asking Uncle Johnny once again for permission to move the body now that Mark has escaped. Uncle Johnny agrees but says this is The Blades last chance. Reggie calls her brother from a hotel in New Orleans to tell him what shes up to, unaware that Mr. Foltrigg is tracking her call. They go after her.Later, Reggie and Mark find Romy's boat house which is located next to some rather paranoid and security-ridden neighbors. Mark manages to crawl through a high window into the boat house, leaving Reggie behind at the bottom. Little do they know that The Blade and Rocky have arrived at the same place. The hit men make their way into the boat house, while Mark hurriedly hides in Romy's covered boat. To get the body, the men raise the boat up. Reggie, scared for Mark climbs quietly to the open window to see if hes okay. Mark looks down from under the cover while the men uncover the body. Reggie gets Marks attention and begs him to sneak back out through the window. After a while, he sees the body and finally tries to climb up to the window where Reggie pulls him through. They make a noise, which The Blade hears, and when he looks up he sees Reggie and Mark looking trying to escape. They run and The Blade goes after them. He eventually catches Reggie and his gun goes flying in the struggle. Reggie tells Mark to run, but Mark picks up the gun and tells The Blade to let Reggie go. He holds The Blade at gunpoint, seriously considering shooting him, but Reggie convinces Mark to hand the gun over to her. The Blade teases Reggie saying she doesn't have the guts and should have let Mark shoot. Reggie scoffs and instead shoots a security box on the neighbors house, setting off alarms. The neighbors come out making a fuss, and Mark and Reggie get away while the neighbors shoot at The Blade and the other hit men. The hit men shoot back at the neighbors, who retreat. And the hit men leave before the police can arrive. Mark goes back to the boat house to find the garbage bag that's supposed to contain Boyd Boyett's body. He opens it to see if hes in there, and is assaulted with the sight of maggots, an awful smell, and the body.The next day, Reggie meets with Roy in a New Orleans diner. Roy is anxious to find out the whereabouts of the body, but Reggie will only tell him if he meets the conditions she wants of Mark and his family's Witness Protection Program first. She tells him she wants Marks mother to have some starting out money to have a nice little house. White, with a walk-in closet.Back with the hit men, Uncle Johnny makes it clear that the Blade is to be killed for screwing up his last chance so royally. Finally, back with the Sways, Ricky is airlifted to another hospital in a different location while Mark decides he wants them to be relocated to Phoenix. His mother agrees. She signs the papers and they start to get on the plane, until Mark sees Reggie again. He asks if she can come with them, but she says when entering Witness Protection he has to sever all ties with anyone back home. Mark will never see Reggie again. He gives her a hug and tells her he loves her, and she tells him the same. But before Mark gets on the plane, he turns to Reggie, smiles and says, "I'll call you." Reggie can do nothing but laugh.Immediately after the Sways take off, the FBI surround Reggie and she exasperatedly tells them where the body is. Roy, smiling, reminds Reggie that she should have included immunity from her illegal actions, but Reggie produces the tape of HIS illegal actions. They both silently agree to keep quiet. After Roy leaves, Reggie sees Marks plane disappearing as he and his family leave Louisiana forever, safely.

Tags: revenge, suspenseful, murder, prank

Review:
A decent film to have in your collection, and one of the better John Grisham book-turned-movie adaptations..
If it stayed like the beginning, this film would have been flawless.After a 11-year-old kid and his brother witnessed a suicide, the kid hires an attorney to help protect him and his family from threatening mafia members and a stubborn Federal District attorney.The acting is very good in this film.
I want to address some of the major holes in the plot, so if you haven't seen the movie yet you may want to skip this review.Why would the mob assume that this lawyer, who was about to commit suicide, would be telling the kid anything regarding the dead body?
Back in 1994, I read this book and just like other John Grisham's novels, with the exception of "The Pelican Brief", once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.Director Joel Schumacher and Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman did an excellent job keeping the movie within the storyline without doing a horrible "hatchet job" most do to novels.
I liked Susan Sarandon as Reggie Love, Brad Renfro as Mark Sway, Tommy Lee Jones was a perfect fit as the "Revered" Roy Foltrigg.
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) and his little brother are witnesses to the suicide of a mob lawyer.
After his brother falls into a coma and he becomes the target of the mob and the federal prosecutor (Tommy Lee Jones) he is forced to hire Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) who is an attorney with a chequered past and a courageous heart.The direction and story are both very strong, and i thought Jones and Saradon both put in great performances; and even if i did find new-comer Brad Renfro's character a little annoying at times, it wasn't at detriment to the film.The Client is a tense and dramatic thriller that has enough entertainment value to forgive it, its minor plot holes.7/10.
The only thing that i didn't liked much was the acting of the boy Brad Renfo, it was obvious that he is a rookie actor; he doesn't show any emotion during the film, even in the most tense situations, but i respect this, Grisham wanted to look this way; i simply didn't liked it.ABOUT THE MOVIE: Brad Renfo plays the role of Mark Sway, a boy who don't live in the best economical conditions, who liked to sneak outside his house, one day, with his brother Ricky (David Speck) they saw a man that wanted to commit suicide, an attorney, who before killing himself told Mark that he knew where Barry "The Blade" Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) hide the corpse of a killed senator; later, he and his brother witnessed the suicide.
The story of Mark here became tense as the Police and the news describe him as witness, and the mafia of "The Blade" try to find him, thinking that he knows something; Mark don't wan't to declare what he knows to the police, leaded by Reverend Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) and he finds an attorney, Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) who protect him.
Susan Sarandon has the role of a lawyer willing to risk her career for Ricky, the youth, and Tommy Lee Jones plays an ambitious federal prosecutor anxious to use Ricky's testimony to further his own career.
Ricky is determined to protect his family before doing anything to help the authorities.It's a superb suspense thriller, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, and both Jones and Sarandon turn in great performances.
The movie also benefits from support cast members such as Ossie Davis, Anthony LaPaglia, and as "The Client", Brad Renfro.
An egotistical district attorney(Tommy Lee Jones), the FBI and the Mafia all suspect that the boy, found at the scene, knows the dead lawyer's secrets.
Watching Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones act Southern is painful.
The best one is that of Susan Sarandon, who is just great in this - especially in her early scenes, in which she wipes everyone else off the screen.Brad Renfro is also amazingly good as the boy.
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) and little brother Ricky run across mob lawyer Jerome Clifford trying to commit suicide in his car.
From the novel by John Grisham comes this gripping thriller about an indigent southern boy whose life takes a shocking turn when he witnesses the suicide of an infamous mafia lawyer.
Imperfect but entertaining adaptation may not bear close scrutiny, but the story holds you from start to finish, director Schumacher does an excellent job of building suspense, and a strong cast is at work headlined by a rock solid Sarandon, a flamboyant Jones, and a real find in young Renfro.
Susan Sarandon (in an odd Oscar-nominated role) defends a young boy who witnessed the suicide of a high-class Louisiana lawyer who was defending a dangerous mafia syndicate in this terribly uneven and over-rated film that bores the audience from the word go.
Now, in conclusion, if you are a fan of Susan Sarandon or Tommy Lee Jones, or you enjoyed John Grisham's title novel, I highly recommend this movie.
The first time i saw this movie was a couple years ago on tv, it wasnt that bad, but the acting wasnt great either, the plot was good, it was very predictable though, so i gave it 6/10, if you havent seen it go watch it, its kinda good, but thats just my opinion..
Mark calls the police and ultimately lies to them, the way any kid would, but they know it and when the FBI comes into the investigation, the smart twelve year old decides it's time for him to go out and find a lawyer.
As Mark's lawyer, Reggie Love, Sarandon portrays one of her most interesting characters to date and gives a flawless performance.
I remember this as a great movie by Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), who got an Oscar nomination out of her performance in a year of great movies, the best being, of course, Four Weddings and a Funeral.Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, JFK) was super as the Rev. Roy, and the lovely and talented Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds", "Angels in America") was great as Mark's (Brad Renfro) mom.
Based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham, 'The Client', directed by Joel Schumacher, in an interesting thriller, that also packs in memorable performances by it's lead-cast.'The Client' tells the story of a eleven-year old boy, who, witnesses the suicide of a lawyer whose client is in the mob, and a female attorney, who, tries to protect him.
he was 12 at the time.I remember this as a great movie by Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), who got an Oscar nomination out of her performance in a year of great movies, the best being, of course, Four Weddings and a Funeral.Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, JFK) was super as the Rev. Roy, and the lovely and talented Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds", "Angels in America") was great as Mark's mom.
Jones is flashly as Sarandon's egotistical law adversary.Good performance from youngster Renfro, but shoddy direction by the always infuriating Schumacher who makes the film as a whole impossible to watch and insufferable to follow..
We all know Joel Grisham writes a great drama, but sometimes the movie adaptions just wear you down.The story is a bout a kid who witnesses a suicide of a lawyer entangled in a huge mafia case.
I further confess to having a penchant for political-legal-type dramas/thrillers, and I will even go so far as to say that movies with Southern lawyers have a special fascination to many (Atticus Finch, anyone?), perhaps because portraying Southern politics tackles greater sociological and civil issues that would otherwise carry less meaning.The Client is one such movie, and my favorite Susan Sarandon role.
Thriller about a young boy Mark Sway (Renfro) who witnesses the suicide of a man (Olkewicz) with ties to the mob.
The kid must hire his own lawyer (Sarandon) to protect his rights, since district attorney (Tommy Lee Jones) is fixated on taking down the mob and won't stop at anything--even willing to put the safety of Mark at risk.
Susan Sarandon plays Reggie Love, a attorney in Louisana who is hired by Mark Sway(Brad Renfro, 1982-2008) whom he and his brother Ricky(David Speck) witness the suicide of a mob lawyer.
It's an awesome story, with a great supporting cast.I also loved Susan Sarandon, her character was one of my favourite movie lawyers ever, she's wonderful.
The story has to do with a boy (Brad Renfro) who was at the scene when a lawyer for the Mafia committed suicide.
It seems as though organized crime put a hit on him and the discovery of said body will cinch an indictment against Anthony LaPaglia the number one contract killer in the New Orleans mob.So US Attorney Tommy Lee Jones wants Renfro.
Scumacher continues with this kind of character-driven drama with the second of his films that I have seen, both twice, in `The Client', with an as ever exceptional Susan Sarandon as a small-time lawyer and failed mother and wife, and introducing in his debut Brad Renfro, who has the bad luck to witness together with his younger brother how an important politician blows his brains out.
This is the best of the Grishem adaptations, chiefly because of the superior acting of then newcomer Brad Renfro, Tommy Lee Jones, and the always brilliant Susan Sarandon.True, the plot has some holes and the villains come across as uninspired, but the interplay between Sarandon and Jones is always fun to watch, and the sometimes tender scenes between Renfro and Sarandon are surprisingly believable (considering this was Renfro's first role, it is amazing how well he holds his own with Sarandon, one of the greatest talents in film history.)This movie grabs hold of you from the beginning and really never lets up, with wonderful and memorable scenes throughout--the first meeting between Jones and Sarandon being one of the many standouts.
John Grisham knew how to milk the most out of a situation that has a boy who knew too much (BRAD RENFRO) about a Mafia murder, relentlessly pursued by the killers while seeking the help of a female lawyer (SUSAN SARANDON in one of her better roles).
TOMMY LEE JONES is amusing as a crafty Southern lawyer (is there any other kind???), and seems to be modeling his role after the juicy role he had in THE FUGITIVE.Brad Renfro is impressive in his pivotal role as the boy on the run and it's all extremely well done up until its suspenseful climax.
Mark goes to rookie lawyer Reggie Love for help and the pair find themselves between a rock and a hard place as both the law and the mob try to reach Mark and get them to do what they want with no thought for him.I am not a fan of these legal thriller things  never read a book by John Grisham (I've never been that bored on holiday!) and didn't find the glut of films from his work to be as inspiring as their box office success would suggest that they were.
It has just about enough going for it to be worth seeing once because the basic plot is OK and is interesting enough to watch but it does feel like a ponderous experience and not a slick, taut, exciting thriller which it should have at least partly been.The cast are not great on screen but, with time it has become an increasingly star-studded film.
Put this together with great acting by Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro and you have one hell of a movie.
Tommy Lee Jones,, Susan Sarandon, do a wonderful job in the movie,, Will Patton plays a police officer who is really dislikeable.
One of Joel Schumacher's good movies - before he got into stuff like "Batman & Robin" - was "The Client", an adaptation of a John Grisham novel.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) hopes to use Mark's hidden information to bring down a New Orleans mafioso (Anthony LaPaglia), while Mark is tired of getting questioned, and so he hires novice lawyer Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon), who has been having to deal with her own demons.I found the really effective scenes to be the dialog between Foltrigg and Love, as they try their legal skills against each other.
I recently re-discovered the Grisham novels, and started 'The Client', recalling that I had detested the film back in 1994, despite great expectations, considering the presence of Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon.Lo and behold: it came on an obscure cable network and out came the VCR tape (low-tech, huh?)..
Joel Schumacher is pretty much my least favorite director of all time, and Grisham represents the kind of author whose books instantly give me a hankering for classic literature, so the chances that I was really going to think much of this film were slim from the get go.Good actors like Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones put a lot of effort into the material and give committed performances.
This is a well written, well directed movie with excellent acting from not only well-known Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee-Jones, but also by newcomer Brad Renfro.
Throw in Susan Sarandon & Tommy Lee Jones (he seemed to be in every movie in '94) and this is a fun ride.I like the Grisham movies because the one different thing about his works is you don't really know what it's all about.
Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon did a great job.
A gripping and action-packed film that you won't be able to switch off once you get started.Starring big-wigs Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, 'The Client' is based upon the John Grisham novel of the same name, where two boys witness a Mafia spokesperson commit suicide, but can't tell anyone.Enter Susan Sarandon who the elder brother (Brad Renfro) hires for only $1 to protect him and his family.The plot is scorching, the acting is brilliant (too bad Brad's career didn't last long) and the film itself is genius..
Let's face it, John Grisham novels are excellent and with all their suspense and clever plots they always make exciting  Hollywood movies.
It's hard to beat Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in lead roles, throw in the rest of a great supporting cast and you have the makings of 2 hours of viewing enjoyment.
Call me shallow, but the thing that attracted me to this film when I first rented it were the names: Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro.
Having read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved the movie too!I'd recommend it to anyone who likes John Grisham or thrillers.
It's quite interesting, and the acting is universally good, but it's a strictly by-the-numbers legal thriller with the twist that the innocent on the run, as in all Grisham films, is a kid (very well played though).
Especially Tommy Lee Jones, a personal favorite, plays his part well, and his scenes with Sarandon are the best part of the film.
The story has a happy ending.The best things about this film are the 2 most tense scenes I mentioned, the happy ending and the amazing acting by Brad Renfro and the kid who plays his cute younger brother.
You get the point & feeling without the unnecessary graphic element most other directors would go for.I suspected it would be a great movie with Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon in it & I wasn't disappointed.
Susan Sarandon's Reggie is human and believable, and Tommy Lee Jones' Foltrigg is clever, annoying, and funny - both are terrific performances.But the young Brad Renfro in his first performance is magnetic, and the film is at its best when he's running rings round the adults.
Protecting the lad's rights is Attorney Reggie Love, and Susan Sarandon is most admirable in this strong yet vulnerable role, while finally newcomer Brad Renfro performs well his part as the young boy whose run in with the suicidal, and now late, Jerome Clifford, has turned his world upside down.The entire support cast (including Will Patton, Frank LaPaglia and Mary-Louise Parker) and technical team have helped fashion a most enjoyable film, but sadly, once the resolution begins to become clear, "The Client" peters off to a somewhat less than inspirational ending.
This Legal Thriller Is Worth It. A sterling cast headed by Oscar-nominated Susan Sarandon makes this slick thriller one of the better adaptations of a John Grisham bestseller,The Client.The film stars Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro together with Mary-Louise Parker,Anthony LaPaglia,Anthony Edwards and Ossie Davis.It was based on Grisham's bestselling novel about a street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man who killed Senator Boyd Boyette.It was written by Robert Getchell; together with Akiva Goldsman and it was directed by Joel Schumacher,both of whom worked in another Grisham adaptation, A Time To Kill.Mark Sway witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer, who confesses that the Mob was behind the murder of a U.S. senator.
The relationship between Reggie Love and Mark Sway is the center of the film, adding considerable character development to plot's routine elements.This legal thriller isn't a masterpiece of suspense but it has its moments and is capable of providing entertainment.Susan Sarandon, the emotional center of the narrative, received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for playing a recovered alcoholic lawyer who interacts with the boy as a surrogate mother and a lawyer that holds the viewer's interest on the main characters of the story.
As typical of Grisham screen adaptations up to that point, the film version is a bit of a disappointment after the novel.Young Brad Renfro and his brother stumble across the attempted suicide of a Mafia attorney, who confides where a politician's body is buried before doing away with himself.
A female lawyer (Susan Sarandon) takes the case of a young boy (Brad Renfro), a witness to a Mob-related death.