There really isn't much in Conviction that we haven't seen before. Guy gets wrongly convicted (maybe) for a grisly murder; outside folks try everything to get him out. The twist in this case is that his working-class sister, a bartender, gets a law degree to help prove his innocence.
If it weren't for the cast, you'd never have heard of this movie. Chances are fairly good, really, that you haven't heard of it anyway. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a working single mother does all she can to ensure her brother's release from prison. Brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is doing life for a horrifying murder of an older lady. His trial is swift. Betty's devotion to her brother - shown tautly in flashbacks - is stronger than even her bond with her family, as the fight to prove his innocence takes precedence over almost everything.
Problem number one is that Kenny's trial doesn't seem wrongheaded or one-sided in the least, certainly not to the average viewer. Is he innocent? Don't know. Did he not receive a fair trial? Looked fair from here. So we need to take it on faith that Betty Anne's conviction (ha!) of her brother's non-guilt isn't unfounded. She's aided by the only other "older student" in her law class, played with knowing grace by Minnie Driver, and later on by the famous Barry Scheck, founder of The Innocence Project. Together, this legal trio must fight corruption, red tape, and ennui on the part of everyone else.
Problem number two is that the whole thing is just a manic-depressive's dream. One moment Betty Anne is gloriously happy! She did something right! Woo! And then moments later she's a sad panda, because some obstacle, unforeseen by her but totally predictable by the rest of us, pops up. But then all is awesome again! And on and on and on it goes, and where it stops we just plain don't care.
The background of the relationship of Betty Anne and Kenny makes things worse, not better; if it were meant to clarify, anyway. We see Kenny the thuggish bully, although he stands up for little sis. We see them both as products of a broken home, eventually sent to separate foster homes. But so what? All we see of Kenny lends credence to the theory/fact that he's a violent, violent man.
The ending is a foregone conclusion, but I'll be helpful and not mention what exactly it is. The trouble is that it's not only foregone, it's sort of a letdown. There are no loose ends, and there are no actual twists. A leads to B leads to C. Despite the best efforts of the cast, Convicted isn't worth anyone's time. Swank, possibly cognizant of a one-dimensional plot, overacts, and when she looks mad or gloomy she looks exactly like Matt Damon, which isn't flattering when you're supposed to be Hilary Swank.
If it weren't for the cast, you'd never have heard of this movie. Chances are fairly good, really, that you haven't heard of it anyway. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a working single mother does all she can to ensure her brother's release from prison. Brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) is doing life for a horrifying murder of an older lady. His trial is swift. Betty's devotion to her brother - shown tautly in flashbacks - is stronger than even her bond with her family, as the fight to prove his innocence takes precedence over almost everything.
Problem number one is that Kenny's trial doesn't seem wrongheaded or one-sided in the least, certainly not to the average viewer. Is he innocent? Don't know. Did he not receive a fair trial? Looked fair from here. So we need to take it on faith that Betty Anne's conviction (ha!) of her brother's non-guilt isn't unfounded. She's aided by the only other "older student" in her law class, played with knowing grace by Minnie Driver, and later on by the famous Barry Scheck, founder of The Innocence Project. Together, this legal trio must fight corruption, red tape, and ennui on the part of everyone else.
Problem number two is that the whole thing is just a manic-depressive's dream. One moment Betty Anne is gloriously happy! She did something right! Woo! And then moments later she's a sad panda, because some obstacle, unforeseen by her but totally predictable by the rest of us, pops up. But then all is awesome again! And on and on and on it goes, and where it stops we just plain don't care.
The background of the relationship of Betty Anne and Kenny makes things worse, not better; if it were meant to clarify, anyway. We see Kenny the thuggish bully, although he stands up for little sis. We see them both as products of a broken home, eventually sent to separate foster homes. But so what? All we see of Kenny lends credence to the theory/fact that he's a violent, violent man.
The ending is a foregone conclusion, but I'll be helpful and not mention what exactly it is. The trouble is that it's not only foregone, it's sort of a letdown. There are no loose ends, and there are no actual twists. A leads to B leads to C. Despite the best efforts of the cast, Convicted isn't worth anyone's time. Swank, possibly cognizant of a one-dimensional plot, overacts, and when she looks mad or gloomy she looks exactly like Matt Damon, which isn't flattering when you're supposed to be Hilary Swank.