Chris O'Donnell, who comes off as a kind of wooden Tom Cruise (if you'll excuse the oxymoron), sleepwalks his way through the role of rookie lawyer Adam Hall, the prodigal grandson who returns to the South to try to get a stay of execution for his racist grandpa, Sam Cayhall (Gene Hackman). Based on John Grisham's bestseller, The Chamber is almost worth seeing for Hackman's no-holds-barred, yet nuanced, performance as a racist not so much by choice but by family tradition. Some of the tragedy and reality of modern America is bound up in Hackman's character, but viewers have to put up with O'Donnell and expert scenery-chewer Faye Dunaway's (as Cayhall's daughter) under- and over-played characters to find it. Optional. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray Review—Nov. 27, 2018—Kino Lorber, 113 min., R, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1996’s The Chamber features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 audio, but no extras. Bottom line: this is still a so-so adaptation of John Grisham’s bestselling novel.]
The Chamber
(Universal, 113 min., R, avail. Mar. 25) Vol. 12, Issue 2
The Chamber
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