Movie Description Powerful, media-hungry Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere) gets in over his head when he takes the case of an altar boy (Edward Norton making his film debut) accused of murdering an archbishop. His opponent for the prosecution is his former protege and lover Janet Venable (Laura Linney), who's out to make this her watershed case. A suspenseful courtroom with a truly unexpected ending, this drama is based on the novel by William Diehl.
| Credits | | Producer: | Gary Lucchesi | | Cast: | Andre Braugher, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Laura Linney |
| Details | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound, Surround Sound |
Notes Released theatrically in the USA April 3, 1996.
Shot on location in Chicago, Illinois in Panavision. Prints by DeLuxe.
Director Gregory Hoblit is well known as one of the creative forces behind the hit televisions series "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law," and "NYPD Blue."
Soundtrack album available on Milan CD's and cassettes.
Rated BBFC 18 by the British Board of Film Classification.
Editorial Reviews "...Richard Gere gives a focused performance..." USA Today - p.7D - Mike Clark
"...Gere's showy yet mature performance holds the movie together....PRIMAL is the most riveting courtroom drama since 1982's THE VERDICT..." -- Rating: B+ Entertainment Weekly - pp.88-9 - Bruce Fretts (10/18/1996)
"...Taut thriller....[Norton gives a] hypnotic performance..." Premiere - p.115-16 - Josh Rottenberg (12/01/1996)
"...Well-crafted....Linney is excellent....Hoblit's direction is ultra-attentive to story points..." Variety - Todd McCarthy (04/01/1996)
"...[Gere] shows what an interesting actor he can be. PRIMAL FEAR contains some of his best work..." Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (04/03/1996)
"The plot is as good as crime procedurals get, but the movie is really better than its plot because of the three-dimensional characters." Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (04/05/1996)
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