ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, April 6, 1996                TAG: 9604090048
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 10   EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT 

`FEAR' IS FLAWED BUT RICHARD GERE FANS WON'T CARE

"Primal Fear" is a legal thriller that's moderately enjoyable as a guilty pleasure - mostly for Richard Gere fans - despite several self-inflicted wounds.

For openers, one major plot element is so transparently obvious that the audience has to wonder why it's taking the characters on screen so long (more than an hour) to figure it out. Once that hurdle has been cleared, the big trial contains some moments of wonderful humor that may or may not be intentional. And when the "surprise" finish is revealed, all that's missing is a loud "DOH!" and a Homer Simpson-like slap to the forehead.

Gere is silkily believable as Martin Vail, high-profile Chicago defense attorney. Always the master of the legal system, Vail is a cynical self-promoter who maintains a careful ignorance about his clients' guilt or innocence. When a powerful archbishop is horribly (and graphically) murdered, and a young, blood-splattered suspect is captured, Vail jumps on the case. He knows that his client, Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), is a poor Kentuckian, but the publicity value of the case is enormous.

Even if Aaron's story about blackouts and other psychological problems sounds suspicious, Vail thinks that his team can come up with something to base a defense on. And as they proceed, they discover other complications. Could Aaron actually be innocent?

TV veteran Gregory Holt directs this potboiler with more style than it really deserves. He uses some of the same muted colors and grungy urban locations that were so important to last year's hit "Seven." He also has a superb supporting cast to work with - Andre Braugher, Frances McDormand, John Mahoney, Laura Linney and Alfre Woodard. The real surprise, though, is Norton. His is the kind of debut that could make him a star overnight.

It's impossible to overlook the film's flaws. At a preview screening, viewers were laughing uncontrollably at all the wrong moments. At the same time, though, they seemed interested and engaged by the story all the way through. But, the similarities to "Seven" are strong, and "Primal Fear" could become a dark-horse hit.

Primal Fear

** 1/2

A Paramount release playing at Cinema USA Crossroads Mall, Tanglewood Mall. 128 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language, brief nudity, sexual content.

LENGTH: Medium:   54 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Richard Gere plays Martin Vail, a self-promoting defense
          attorney, in ``Primal Fear.'' color.