A TIME TO KILL
(chestnut)

I just happened to revisit this classic film immediately after the proceeding one (The Great White Hype). Man oh man, if you want to take a good look at the vastness of the canvas Samuel L. Jackson is drawing from with his craft, this would be a fantastic double feature for you! Jackson is one flat out brilliant actor.

We’ve gotten used to seeing Jackson in more flamboyant, suave and oh so confident roles as of late. And why? Because Jackson is all of those things and few are and it is deliciously fun to see him strut his stuff.

In A Time to Kill, he pulls in and shows us his inner turmoil; ranging from passionate fight to resignation and back. His is not a man who fights back. As a Southern black man in a racially charged town, he has lived this long by keeping silent. It is the defilement of his baby daughter that makes him calmly take the law in his own hands.

As the film progresses, J

Matthew McConahey has seemed to lessen his acting range as his career progresses. Perhaps some of that is just weak comparison based on the fact that many of us saw him here first. He is so bloody good in this film that it promises another actor with unlimited vistas of ability (as well as some ridiculously sexy guns, it bears adding!). It is this Goddess’ opinion that Matthew has never again come close to what he shows here, but watching this again, I hope he finds this passion, bravado and focus he found here.

The story of A Time to Kill is not particularly new, but it is fresh. A sound courtroom

For those of you who are like moi and enjoy films chockfull of future stars, you won’t be disappointed here. Jackson, the always magnificent Donald Sutherland, Sandra Bullock (in a surprising yet beautiful dramatic turn), the ridiculously fascinating Oliver Platt, Kevin Spacey, Chris Cooper, Keifer Sutherland, Ashley Judd - it’s packed to the gills with great actors and they are all impressive here.

A Time to Kill is a beautifully shot, magnificently told movie with life force bursting at the seams. Everything about this film works and I highly recommend it. If you like thoughtful trial movies about passionate causes, this belongs on your must see list.