Unless, it’s “John Wick 2,” I’m having trouble concentrating on whatever Keanu Reeves is doing next. In this case, it’s “The Whole Truth,” a legal thriller that has already opened in Japan and select overseas markets already. That’s not always a good sign, but talent around this movie is nonetheless compelling.
Directed by Courtney Hunt (“Frozen River“), penned by Rafael Jackson, and co-starring Renee Zellweger, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jim Belushi, the film tells the story of a defense attorney hired by a wealthy family to acquit their son who has confessed to a brutal crime. He takes the job, but finds his job made more difficult when his client refuses to talk about the case. Here’s the official synopsis:
Defense attorney Richard Ramsay (Keanu Reeves) takes on a personal case when he swears to his widowed friend, Loretta Lassiter (Renée Zellweger), that he will keep her son Mike (Gabriel Basso) out of prison. Charged with murdering his father, Mike initially confesses to the crime. But as the trial proceeds, chilling evidence about the kind of man that Boone Lassiter (Jim Belushi) really was comes to light. While Ramsay uses the evidence to get his client acquitted, his new colleague Janelle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) tries to dig deeper – and begins to realize that the whole truth is something she alone can uncover.
Following the terrific intrigue of this summer’s “The Night Of,” legal dramas have an extra high bar to leap over and I’m not so sure this one will come close. Still, it’s got a pretty a good cast and a strong director, so perhaps this is one to keep on the radar regardless. “The Whole Truth” opens on October 21st in theaters and on VOD.
