The character of Betty Anne Waters was supposed to be compelling in her efforts to free her brother. However, it seemed more as though she was a saint, giving up her own idea of a career, her family, heck - her life (she didn't even want to make any friends). She might well have been in reality, but in a movie context she came off as a complete bore.
I was reminded of another movie about an uneducated woman who rose against the system - Erin Brockovich. Unfortunately, this movie fails miserably in comparison. The rude, loud-mouthed, brashness of Julia Roberts worked towards making the 'saint' not so saintly and gave depth to the character.
Hilary Swank, on the other hand, comes off very flat. The performance during this movie felt as though she overacted the whole time. Her voice was grating, the accent very pronounced and fake. Every time there was a close-up of her face, her lips would be trembling and always tension-filled. It filled me with a sense of constant agitation, although perhaps that was what the director wanted.
© Fox Searchlight Pictures
The director did a fantastic job of portraying the character of Kenny Waters. Sam Rockwell absolutely dominated the screen whenever he appeared, from the fun-loving, violent drunk to the suicidal prisoner. Through his words and his outbursts of temper, there were times where I was wondering whether he was actually innocent or guilty. However, it was very obvious what the outcome would be.
Overall, I give this film a D, because I would never ever watch it again. There's nothing special about this underdog, I was more compelled reading the old news articles about this case and the revelations of it.
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