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Chicago. Archbishop Rushman is killed and mutilated with a knife in his home. The police chase after a guy with blood on his clothes running away nearby, and arrest him: it is Aaron (19), the orphan altar boy. Aaron is charged with Rushman's murder, and sly lawyer Martin Vail is the first to offer to represent him at trial. Aaron claims he was in the room, but that a third person killed Rushman. Martin finds a secret VHS tape at the church in which Rushman filmed Aaron having sex with a girl and another guy. Martin sends the tape to prosecutor Janet, his ex-girlfriend. Aaron feigns he has a split personality, "Roy", who killed Rushman, and attacks Janet during trial, whereby Judge Miriam stops the case and orders Aaron into a psychiatric hospital. Aaron later admits to Martin he feigned his split personality.
The feature length acting debut of Edward Norton immediately announced him as the new acting hope thanks to the legal thriller "Primal Fear", though the leading actor Richard Gere is even better, overshadowing him as the cynical lawyer Martin. When Martin starts off semi-narrating the film with such snappy lines as: "On my first day of law school, my professor says two things. First was: from this day forward, when your mother tells you she loves you, get a second opinion... If you want justice, go to a whorehouse" or "Why gamble with money when you can gamble with people's lives?", the viewers are instantly engaged and intrigued, since he is established as a sharp character who is shady, yet still clever enough to have some principles and ethics. His exchange with lawyer Janet (Laura Linney) near the beginning is also delicious, since he insists they were in a relationship, while she just coldly rebuts him with: "It was a one-night stand, Marty. It just lasted six-months." Bizarrely, the writing becomes much less inspired and more standard when Martin gets to represent Aaron at trial, since several "bumps" appear, most notably in the unnecessary random splatter scenes of someone killing Arcbishop with a knife. The sole core of Martin's legal defense is rather bland and stale, though the excellent Alfre Woodard manages to ignite some interest here and there in the role of the Judge. The plot twist at the end reminds too much of the one in "The Usual Suspects", thus lacking some true surprises or highlights, yet due to the strong first act "Primal Fear" is still a quality legal film.
Grade:++
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