A Civil Action has a great cast including John Travolta, Robert Duvall, William H Macey, James Gandolfini and John Lithgow. The film is about an injury lawyer taking two companies to court to prove by dumping toxins they have caused leukaemia in 8 children living nearby. Travolta is in good 90's form here but is outshone by Robert Duvall who puts in a fantastic performance as an opposing lawyer. Duvall really elevates every scene he is in. Macey is solid, as are Gandolfini and Lithgow in small roles. Whilst the storyline is engaging i did find the courtroom scenes a little underwhelming, i expected more fire and tension in them, particularly with the actors we have in the film. At times it feels the script is trying to cover too much story for the running time and timelines are moved forward in the blink of an eye. To be honest this is a film which could have perhaps benefitted from a longer running time. The film looks good and there is not a bad performance throughout but by the same token nothing feels special about the film. Ultimately A Civil Action is a competent well made legal thriller which simmers but never really catches fire.
Review of A Civil Action
