Watching this legal pot-boiler from Devil In A Blue Dress director Carl Franklin is like seeing an eloquent lawyer present a clever but fundamentally flawed case.
No matter how much attention he lavishes on character, procedural details and moral ambiguities, the story - a lumpy mix of military courtroom drama, political thriller and Sleeping With The Enemy-style domestic jeopardy - just won't stand up.
Ashley Judd skilfully balances professional cool and emotional naivety, with top-notch support from Adam Scott as the rookie military attorney assigned to the case, and the ever-watchable Morgan Freeman as her 'wild card' assistant, Charlie Grimes - a washed-up, Harley-riding, hard-drinking attorney with a shrewd mind and his own axe to grind.
The weakest dramatic link is the miscast Jim Caviezel, whose off-kilter performance hints too overtly at the 'surprise' revelations to come. And the ludicrous final 'twist' begs so many questions, it could start its own quiz show.