Plot: What’s it about?
Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges) just lost his wife, who was murdered in a brutal and perverted manner. To top off the situation, the police believe Forrester is the killer, and arrest him. Forrester, a successful publisher, takes a leave of absence from his work, and begins to solicit legal defense from Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close). While a little hesitant at first, Barnes finally agrees to take the case, having no idea just how far things would go. The stipulation she proposes is this, if she finds out that he is guilty of the crime, she will leave the case. Forrester and his team agree, and the partnership kicks off. Barnes tries to keep things on a professional level, but as time passes and she becomes more involved with Forrester and the case, she finds herself taking a personal interest in both. While she begins and affair with her client, which shatters her objectivity in the case, the D.A. she’s facing hammers the case, as he stands to movie up in the political world if he wins. With the help of a private detective (Robert Loggia), it seems as though she might be able to win the case after all. But when things take an unexpected turn into darkness, she discovers that she might be the next woman found murdered in bed.
The best way I can sum up this movie is subtract most of the sex from Basic Instinct, and turn up the tension level a few notches. This is a tense thriller, which is based on the question of whether or not Forrester killed his wife, which the movie skirts around, giving just enough information to keep us glued without spoiling things. I also think the ending here is better than most, because it was not the kind you see coming a mile away, like many films from this genre. The writing is very good, due in part to the author, Joe Eszterhas who has plenty of experience writing this type of material. While this isn’t the best murder thriller you can find, it does belong with the upper echelon of the genre, and is worth checking out. Fans of the genre will want to look this movie up for sure, as will those who follow either of the leading actors. The disc itself is well worth a rental, but given the lack of supplements, I think only completists or hard-core fans will want to purchase the release.
This movie was written by Joe Eszterhas, who is known for his penmanship that deals with sexually charged dramas. Some of his work includes Sliver, Basic Instinct, Original Sin, Jade, and even the all time classic, and personal favorite of mine, Showgirls. His unique style seeps through this movie, and fans of his work should be pleased. The man behind the camera is director Richard Marquand, who most would recognize as the man who directed Return Of The Jedi. His resume is short, but he has a couple powerful films to his credit, including this film and Hearts of Fire, also penned by Eszterhas. The leads in this film are played by two skilled and experienced actors, Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close, who turn in marvelous performances. While I will always remember Bridges for his work as “The Dude,” he is a versatile dramatic actor as well, as he more than proves here. Bridges (Arlington Road, The Last Picture Show) has an extensive resume of fine work, and this is one of his better dramatic roles. Alongside Bridges is Glenn Close, who is also a well known actor who has almost limitless range on screen. Close (Reversal of Fortune, Fatal Attraction) gives a wonderful turn here, but not quite as sharp as he usually is. The supporting cast here includes Peter Coyote (Patch Adams, Erin Brockovich), Lance Henriksen (Powder, Jennifer 8), Maria Mayenzet (Messenger of Death), and Ben Hammer (Sleepers, Mannequin).
Video: How does it look?
Jagged Edge is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full screen version included on the disc’s other side. This movie looks quite good, especially given it’s catalog title status. The colors are on a natural scale, but still look bright and flesh tones are consistent as well. Black level is sharp as well, with no shadow layering errors or detail loss, even in the darkest places. The disc is also free from all but minor compression issues.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t an audio driven movie, so the 2.0 surround track does a more than adequate turn. While some surround activity arises during the more tense scenes and the soundtrack sometimes lights up the speakers, most of the audio sticks to the front channels. This is the way it should be though, and dialogue sounds great, with consistent volume and clarity.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This contains talent files and four bonus trailers, but does not contain the trailer for this film. The insert booklet has some production notes.
