Clint Eastwood directs this tale of murder, society and deceit set in Savannah. Wealthy socialite Jim Williams (Spacey) invites writer John Kelso (Cusack) to cover one of his highly esteemed parties at Christmas. However, complications arise when a man, an acquaintance of Williams' is shot following an argument over money. Kelso decides to stick around and write up the case, but is there more going on here than meets the eye? Guilty of overstuff, Eastwood's adaptation of the novel is well acted and directed, but several elements, most prominently a voodoo shaman (hence the story's title), go nowhere or add to the themes of power, relationships and prejudice. At two and half hours, it just feels like screenwriter John Lee Hancock didn't know what else to cut (apparently, the one trial of the film was four in reality), and so there are strands here that simply don't add to the main thrust of the narrative as we learn more about what really happened with Williams. The voodoo aspect is maybe 10% of the film, and is honestly only here because it explains the title, and an event that happens later in the film that has an alternate explanation.
Still, those elements don't entirely eclipse a fairly engaging legal drama, giving you a decent lens into the investigation and methods of the trial, as well as a stellar performance from Spacey. He's alternately charming and smooth, a man you'd like to be around, yet you sense something's amiss and that's there more going on under the surface. Plus, the film has a good sense of humour about itself, be it with Williams or with Lady Chablis, a transgender performer who has ties to the victim and often plays around with Kelso, including a pretty fun bit in an ER.
In the end 'Midnight' is in the mid tier of Eastwood's filmography: well made and entertaining, but bloated and maybe needed a rethink or different writer to tighten it up. Still, it's leagues better than 'J. Edgar' or some of his recent works.
Still, those elements don't entirely eclipse a fairly engaging legal drama, giving you a decent lens into the investigation and methods of the trial, as well as a stellar performance from Spacey. He's alternately charming and smooth, a man you'd like to be around, yet you sense something's amiss and that's there more going on under the surface. Plus, the film has a good sense of humour about itself, be it with Williams or with Lady Chablis, a transgender performer who has ties to the victim and often plays around with Kelso, including a pretty fun bit in an ER.
In the end 'Midnight' is in the mid tier of Eastwood's filmography: well made and entertaining, but bloated and maybe needed a rethink or different writer to tighten it up. Still, it's leagues better than 'J. Edgar' or some of his recent works.