ThrillMessage
There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.
Forumrxes
Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.
Adeel Hail
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
LeonLouisRicci
Derivative Story has Director Peter Hyams giving it a Glossy, Droll Look. Michael Douglas in an Early "Star" Role is a Disgruntled, Dissatisfied Judge suffering Depression and Frustration with the Law and its Loopholes.Designed to Provoke Thought and Discussion, the Film is a bit Dull during the Opening Act exploiting Cliché after Cliché and Scenes that are Long and Talky for the Dumbed Down among Us, driving the Point of the Movie again and again.Compelling at times as things open up a bit. The Second Act is a Creepy "Secret Society" set up and the Third Act is Full Blown Action Film Stuff. Containing some Great and Spooky Character Actors and Hal Holbrook in a Typical Role is another "That's all I can stand..." judge who states..."At least I tried to do something." Yaphet Kotto is a Cop and is underused.The Movie Tries to do something but only Half Succeeds. Overall, Not a Bad Movie but leaves a lot to be desired and is Surprisingly Flat considering the Powerful Subject Matter. Worth a Watch.
Scott LeBrun
Amusingly described by one review I read here as "a vigilante movie as it might be envisioned by John Grisham", "The Star Chamber" is a good, solid, entertaining thriller. It misses its chances for greatness due to predictability and a lack of credibility, but while it's playing out, some people, such as this viewer, may not mind too much.Michael Douglas, in one of his earliest star vehicles, plays Steven Hardin, a young judge who's frustrated by the legal system with which he has to work. Far too often criminal scum are able to escape just punishment due to legal technicalities and savvy defense attorneys. Stevens' cagey, witty mentor Benjamin Caulfield (a marvelous Hal Holbrook) eventually reveals to Steven the method he and some fellow judges have employed to deal with the situation: review old, particularly infuriating cases, make judgments, and pass sentence, utilizing the services of a hired gun.This is certainly slick stuff, well made technically with efficient direction by Peter Hyams and it's at least smart enough to provoke some debate. For example, what would *you* do: let the 10 guilty men go free or let the one innocent man get executed? It includes some fairly exciting foot chases as well as one brief and decent car chase in a parking garage. The climactic sequence in the abandoned building is appropriately atmospheric. And Michael Smalls' music score is haunting and effective.Douglas is good in the lead but it's the men in the major supporting parts that truly shine: besides Holbrook, Yaphet Kotto scores as a dedicated detective and James B. Sikking is touching as the father of a murdered child. Sharon Gless has little to do as Stevens' concerned wife. The cast contains an impressive Who's Who roster of character actors, including Joe Regalbuto ('Murphy Brown') and Don Calfa ("The Return of the Living Dead") as a pair of goofy creeps, as well as Jack Kehoe, Larry Hankin, Dick Anthony Williams, David Proval, Robin Gammell, Matthew Faison, Michael Ensign, Jason Bernard, and Robert Costanzo. David Faustino ('Married with Children') plays one of Douglas's kids and Douglas's own real-life mother Diana plays Caulfields' wife; Charles Hallahan ("The Thing", 'Hunter') appears uncredited as police officer Picker.The movie does move along quite well, getting off to a good start but not concluding as strongly. Still, it's good entertainment for most of the time, and may have people talking about its themes after it's over.Seven out of 10.
Larkin Huey
Too many well-known facts were omitted in this movie, and criminals didn't say what criminals say, all this in an apparent but weak attempt to preserve the purpose of the movie. It just never got off the ground. The two innocent men who were arrested for the murder of the ten-year-old boy let their lawyer argue that the police illegally searched their van, but never once proclaimed their innocence to the court nor to their lawyer. Even guilty men do that.The two detectives waiting at the trash can in the beginning of the movie say that they can't get a search warrant there in the next 30 seconds because that's when the trash is going into the truck, like they can't stop it, but after they dump the trash in the truck, the detectives, apparently with a newfound power, flippantly flash their badges at the trash guys, telling them not to pull the lever. That didn't make any sense.Men are getting away with murder because of bizarre glitches in the law in this movie, but when the judges order hits on murderers, it's somehow moral when Hal Holbrook says he can sleep at night. Michael Douglas's "we've become them" statement summed that up.It was little annoyances like those that kept a mediocre movie from being a great movie. In order to make a good point, as this one attempted, a movie must appear as real life, but this one wasn't even close. Among already mentioned items, there's no reason Judge Hardin would warn the two guys scheduled for a hit. Besides that, the judges began the hit on those two with apparent ease, but found it impossible to stop it. There were just too many parts of this movie that weren't believable and I found it hard to take seriously.
lost-in-limbo
A daring plot that obviously asks/and debates the big questions, but what it starts off as becomes nothing more than a systematic thriller to end with. "The Star Chamber" was a promising social commentary on the loop holes within the justice system that can see guilty criminal/s get off the hook. No matter how you feel, it isn't black and white. Going by right and wrong can be just as damaging in an emotional mindset to truly blinding you from the truth; as the law is written and the courts follow it. You don't have to like it. However the way the plot plays out manages to cover the negatives, but also the positives of the legal system. Nothing is perfect, as there's always going to be victims and those held accountable… even taking it into your own hands.The narration follows two stories; one being that of a Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin that dismisses one case after another, despite the obvious evidence against the accused because the obtained evidence was unlawful in which meant the hearing must be overturned through legal technicality. Guilt and anger fills Hardin despite doing his job by the book, but one of his fellow pals approaches him about joining a secret organization of judges who look over these types of cases as they hand down their own sentences by death through a hired assassin. It seems right at first, but then he realises that this system can be just as flawed. While on the other side of the coin we follow that of Det. Harry Lowes who's looking after the investigation involving one of the acquitted cases (child killers) that Judge Hardin looked over. What he digs up really does put a spin on Lowes personal quest for actual justice.These two sub-plots do come together in the latter end, but this is where it loses it way and abruptly ends on a truly weak resolution that dodges the bullet. Nonetheless it's a thought-provoking and bold drama, which might be heavy-handed in its approach but the concept stays captivating throughout. The idea of a secret society supposedly cleaning up the mistakes of a judicial system can be frightening, in the aspect of abusing their power and influence. These decisions would be haunting, which shows that this angle of the story could have gone a little more in depth then what materialised. The performances also do a great job in making it rather believable. A persistent Michael Douglas is fitting as the idealistic Judge Hardin and Hal Holbrook stands out with an remarkable turn as one of judges/and Hardin's pal. A refining Yaphet Kotto makes a good head-way as Det. Lowes. Don Calfa and Joe Regalbuto play the edgy accused child killers. Also showing up are Larry Hankin and David Proval. Director Peter Hyams keeps it fundamental (outside its expressive camera-work), but still knows how to get a rush from the action, breathes such horrific unease from the acts of violence (namely the child murders) and draws suspense/interest from it topically fuelled script.
