The Film
It's one of those basic life lessons most people learn early on: if something sounds too good to be true, tread carefully. Unfortunately for young Mitch McDeere, it's a lesson you can only learn after getting burned.
Tom Cruise stars in Paramount Pictures' big screen adaptation of The Novel That Made John Grisham Famous. Grisham's first book, A Time To Kill, arguably remains his finest work to date, but The Firm is the one that landed Grisham on the New York Times Bestseller List - a place he has comfortably remained for twenty years. Escapist popcorn fiction at its best, The Firm was ripe for the picking when Paramount went looking for its next sure fire hit.
Mitch (Cruise) is am ambitious, young graduate of Harvard Law. Top of his class, a hard worker, and married to a beautiful wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn), it's no wonder he's being courted by every major law firm in New York City. But when the small Memphis firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke makes him an offer he can't refuse, Mitch and Abby pack their things and drive south to join "the family." As Mitch soon comes to learn, the firm's downtown Memphis office is not unlike the Hotel California: "You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave."
I needn't have worried.
To my surprise, Sydney Pollack's view of Memphis and the Cayman Islands looks downright lovely on high definition Blu-ray. Amid a pleasant layer of film grain, natural-looking skin tones abound and blacks appear sufficiently dark without suffering from crushed shadow detail. The sunny and bright exteriors in the Caymans is where this transfer really comes to life, bursting with bold and vibrant color. Some of the shots during this stretch of the film make it hard to believe The Firm is now eighteen years old.
The Sound
Although portions of The Firm's score are compelling, several of the film's slower scenes suffer from weak and dull piano overtones. But that's ok. The Firm is a dialogue-driven thriller and Paramount's Dolby TrueHD soundtrack does a fine job of rendering the many conversations between Cruise and co-stars such as Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Holly Hunter. The surround channels only rarely come to life but a few scenes do benefit from some ambient effects sounds, particularly towards the end when Cruise is on the run from the Quaker oatmeal guy.
The Extras
Two trailers!
Yep, that's it. (Did I mention they're High Definition?)
Final Thoughts
There's a reason The Firm was a runaway bestseller when it first hit bookstores. It's a small, simple story - but it's well told, filled with tension, and you absolutely care about what happens to Mitch and Abby. Luckily, the same can be said of Sydney Pollack's faithful movie adaptation. As for Paramount's Blu-ray, the total lack of bonus material is definitely a letdown but a surprisingly-strong high def transfer goes a long way towards easing the pain. The disc is only available at Best Buy until the end of August, at which time it will be available everywhere else. With a list price under $20, The Firm presents an offer that's hard to turn down.
Where to Buy
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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