Nonureva Really Surprised!

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Asad Almond A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Python Hyena The Chamber (1996): Dir: James Foley / Cast: Chris O'Donnell, Gene Hackman, Faye Dunaway, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry: Title suggests past torments locked away. Chris O'Donnell plays an attorney whose grandfather is on death row for blowing up a building killing several children. He has 28 days to prove that his grandfather wasn't alone. Faye Dunaway appears as the victim's daughter who reflects upon her father's racial past. After the sentence, the attorney's father leaves behind a suicide note. While not the most pleasant film to engage in, director James Foley does a fine job at creating tension. O'Donnell carries himself well as the lead, who learns much about his family past as well as lure out the guilty. It is obvious that he will accomplish what he came for but the ending regarding his grandfather, particularly the nod by a black inmate seems contrived. Gene Hackman delivers a strong performance as the convict. Dunaway creates the only interesting supporting role as Hackman's daughter who gives insight into the past. Supporting roles are not very broad or interesting. Well made film based on the John Grisham book, and certainly in better standing than the corrupt A Time to Kill and its warped message. It isn't an entertaining outing but its theme of redemption and rekindled love make up for film's shortcomings. Score: 7 ½ / 10

ThatMOVIENut Based on the novel by legal thriller king John Grisham, 'The Chamber' deals with a hotshot young lawyer Adam (O'Donnell) who must defend his racist KKK grandfather Sam (Hackman) from the long standing death sentence for the supposed bombing of a Jewish legal firm. However, despite his grandfather's protests and nastiness, Adam suspects something bigger at work...Despite sleek direction and Hackman's stellar work as a despicable Klansman, 'The Chamber' feels like a lot of hot air. A film built around uncovering secrets and rocking the Mississippi boat wastes time on alluding to threads that are never explored, including possible corruption, political backstabbing and racial tensions, instead of focusing on the core story of a man coming to terms with his family's dark past. It's in the interactions between Sam and Adam that the film feels its sharpest, as despite their disdain, they do gradually grow closer to each other over the course of the film as both face less than pleasant aspects about their family history, and O'Donnell and Hackman work well together.When it's not there, however, the film just seems more interested in building up to nothing. There's a whole chunk devoted to a local KKK leader (played by Raymond J. Barry) that seems to imply him having some sort of influential power, and characters love going on about how Adam doesn't want to 'go digging into this', but in the end he gets taken in like a regular thug, so what was the point of making seem like the big bad? Indeed, any thread related to possible discussion of the still strong tensions among groups in the South is little more than window dressing, which is a real pity. I suspect replacing Bill Goldman with Phil Alden Robinson (credited as Chris Reese) during the writing had something to do with how choppy this script feels.Never boring, thanks to our cast (even Fray Dunaway as a ditzy Southern Belle isn't too bad) and veteran director James Foley handles tension with a sure hand, but it dramatically feels as light as the gases in the titular room.

policy134 Schock-free, little suspense and a absolutely horrible performance by Faye Dunaway. This is what this movie has going for it.A grandson fights for his racist grandfather's life. This could have been interesting but we get little to no insight about the back story which led to the event. I will reveal that it has something to do with a murder and the grandfather about to get the gas chamber. I don't think it will spoil anyones enjoyment of the film or vice versa.The problem is that Gene Hackman as the grandfather is such a underwritten character and he is not portrayed enough as the monster he is supposed to be. Yes, he is a white supremacist and his own family resented him for it, but he comes off much too sympathetic as the plot goes along. He yells and resists at first, he mocks his liberal grandson and that's about it.Chris O'Donnell as the grandson doesn't really register either. We know his motivation but we don't really feel his pain of learning where he comes from. Again, the script is severely underwritten on his part.Then the worst of all. The daughter, played by Faye Dunaway. There is a scene at the end between Hackman and Dunaway that is so false, so unintentionally hilarious that I almost shut the film off.The ending is sad but it doesn't have enough emotional power either. Because Hackman has neither been portrayed as a total monster, nor has he been portrayed as monster with a heart, we could care less if he lives or dies.

dobbin-4 I know that probably goes for every book made into a movie ever made but for this one it really shows. The movie is good at times at portraying just why the book was so great and at other times cuts out some of the most important part of the film.The film gets the first 1/6th of the book done in about 10 minutes, fine, I can accept that, need to get to the center so people are not bored, it was only when after 2/6 of the book was after 30 minutes I started to get annoyed and I state this below...The middle just sort of cut to the chase and this bothers me, if anything, this is one of the worst things you can do to a book, they cut out a lot of the feel of the book in these first 30 minutes of the movie, and fans of the book should feel angered by this (Like Me).On the good side of the book, the film does pick up after the initial part, and by the end you have sympathy for all the characters (Much like the book). The film is definitely a tribute to the book by the end.Overall, fans of the book will like this movie after the initial stage, and while they do add a lot of stupid chunks of the movie (Adam Meets Rollie Wedge) the film does do well to the book.I rate this movie 62%.JOHN GRISAM RULES!!!