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Double
Jeopardy (1999)
A thriller done the good old-fashioned way by Australian Bruce Beresford. Whether or not the 'good old-fashioned' tag makes the end result good or bad will depend on your conviction, but Double Jeopardy makes it clear fairly early on that it is less concerned with motivation and authenticity than it is with the level of suspense. The film presents a clearly constructed plot and crowds it with characters who rather consistently make choices for the better of the film's progress rather than for their own best. If anything else, this lowers our expectations and sends out a signal of a film that isn't too intellectually ambitious. And it works quite well in terms of suspense, if you let it. Ashley Judd's acting is light and unscrutinising, whereas Tommy Lee Jones provides us a recognisable and comfortable equilibrium. An effectively saccharine payoff and a couple of hitchcockesque segments at a cemetary stand out.
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