Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 22, 1994 TAG: 9407260053
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The tone, setting and plot are similar. And, like last summer's hit, this one mixes well-drawn characters with flat stereotypes; it begins with an intriguing premise and arrives at a comparatively weak conclusion; and it's about 15 minutes too long.
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) is a tough little Memphis kid who happens to be in the wrong place out in the woods when Romey Clifford (Walter Olkewicz) decides to kill himself. Romey is a mob lawyer. He knows that the sadistic Barry ``the Blade'' Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) is coming after him, and so he makes a boozy confession of sorts to Mark.
Though he's only 11, Mark has had enough bad experience with the legal system to deny any knowledge of Romey. But there are complications involving his little brother (David Speck) and mother (Mary-Louise Parker). Before long, a suspicious policeman, Sgt. Hardy (Will Patton), and a politically ambitious prosecutor, Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) are pressuring Mark to tell all. At the same time, two hit men (Ron Dean and William Richert) are making serious threats against his family.
The boy needs a lawyer. Enter Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon).
She and Mark have an unfriendly introduction that leads to a rocky relationship. In the long middle section of the film where the various forces come into play, Mark fires Reggie about every 10 minutes. It's an annoying gimmick that highlights the weaknesses of the script by Akiva Goldsman and Steven Reuther. For a thriller it moves slowly, often repeating information.
The big scenes - chases and confrontations - don't generate much tension either. Director Joel Schumacher stages them well enough but, like so many action sequences, they're illogical, and there's nothing fresh about them. The film is more effective when it focuses on the characters.
As expected, Tommy Lee Jones does first-rate work in the main supporting role, though he does seem to have stolen his Southern accent from James Carville. But the film belongs to the stars, and Susan Sarandon and Brad Renfro are excellent. They seem comfortable together. Whenever the plot isn't off on some ridiculous tangent, it becomes a believable love story about two people who have good reasons not to trust each other.
Despite his success with ``Falling Down,'' Schumacher has been known as a director who works well with children and young actors (``The Lost Boys,'' ``St. Elmo's Fire''). He got terrific performances from his two leads and they're the best reason to see ``The Client.''
The Client ** 1/2
A Warner Bros. release playing at the Salem Valley 8, Valley View Mall 6. 120 min. Rated PG-13 for strong language, some violence.
by CNB