Retro DVD Round-Up: "Primal Fear" Starring Ed Norton and "Parenthood" Starring Steve Martin

Primal Fear (1996)

The Basics - Psychological thriller focusing on the alleged murder of a priest by a young man, Aaron Stampler (Ed Norton), who may be suffering from mental illness.

Reasons to Watch - The superb cast is led by Richard Gere, as Aaron's attorney, Martin Vail, and the aforementioned Ed Norton. The supporting cast features the considerable talents of Laura Linney, Frances McDormand and Alfre Woodard. The screenplay, by Steve Shagan and Ann Biderman, is fascinating and allows for character development of the principal characters, who are all complex.

The Bottom Line - The performances more than make up for the problems associated with the motives behind the killing of the priest and the endless and melodramatic sidebars that occur in the courtroom. Ed Norton is convincing as the unpredictable Aaron, who be smarter than the more established professionals he encounters. The extended run time is the result of a few unnecessary scenes with disposable minor characters, but overall, Primal Fear is a solid film.

Parenthood (1989)

The Basics - Ensemble comedy centering around an extended family whose imperfections make them likable, for the most part. The various characters struggle with divorce, gambling, adolescence, and the many problems associated with raising children.

Reasons to Watch - The talented cast is led by Steve Martin, who proves that he is still a wild and crazy guy. The supporting cast features fine work from Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen and Diane Wiest and the younger cast members (at the time) include Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope), Leaf/Joaquin Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. The late Helen Shaw provides the emotional heart of the film, as Grandma.

The Bottom Line - Entertaining and well acted film that features relatable characters who are all being challenged to rise above their problems and find a way to keep the family unit together, with mixed results. Parenthood holds up well after nearly a quarter of a century and that can be partially credited to director Ron Howard.

Movie Recommendation: "Arbitrage" - Starring Richard Gere

Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Why is it so difficult for some people to do the right thing? Of course, when someone potentially has billions of dollars at their disposal, it may be possible to buy their way out of anything, so he/she may forego doing the right thing because there may be no real consequences. However, having those resources does not absolve anyone of their guilt and hedge fund manager Robert Miller (Richard Gere) learns that the hard way in writer/director Nicholas Jarecki's Arbitrage.

Robert Miller is a troubled man who is trying to hide the financial state of his company by manipulating earnings reports and is also carrying on an affair with a much younger woman, Julie (Laetitia Casta). Miller believes that he can secure the capital necessary to protect his future, albeit through deception. However, that problem pales in comparison to the one he encounters when he falls asleep at the wheel while driving late at night with his mistress, which results is a crash that claims her life. Instead of reporting the accident to the authorities, Robert calls a friend to pick him up and leaves the scene of the crime. He suspects that he may get away with it because the car eventually went up in flames, thus burning any forensic evidence.

However, the police soon come calling when a connection between Robert and Julie is established. While Robert's wife, Ellen (Susan Sarandon), knows what her husband has been up to, she decides to hold the cops at bay in order to protect her family, but she also has something in mind to settle the score with the wayward Robert. Meanwhile, Robert's daughter, Brooke (Brit Marling), who works as an executive in the company, begins to learn that the financial statements have been fudged and is afraid that she may be implicated, along with her father, if the truth comes out. And it always does.

Arbitrage taps into the recent financial scandals that have plagued the nation and also examines the lack of culpability that is expressed by those individuals who believe that they can buy and deceive their way out of anything. Even though Robert Miller is unlikable and completely selfish, he is very intelligent and resourceful, as he leverages his contacts and people that he has helped in the past to assist him in getting out of the mess that he has made of his life. Robert clearly loves his daughter, but even she is not immune to his greed and deception. When Brooke confronts her father with the truth, he actually looks like he feels guilty for causing her pain. The character runs the emotionally gamut throughout the film and Richard Gere perfectly conveys Robert's strength, intelligence, pain and vulnerability in a spectacular performance. While I did not want to see Richard get away with his crimes, I marveled at watching him weave a labyrinth of deceit that causes much pain for everyone he allegedly cares about. Could he really get away with everything because of his wealth and power? A check of recent history reveals that, yes, he could, but at what personal cost? The answers may be uncomfortable to contemplate, but they make for a fascinating and cerebral film.

Arbitrage is still playing in select theaters and is available On Demand.