Cate is an incredible fine lawyer with some serious problems with alcohol that is searching a way to recover the right to see her daughter. Since she was a fine lawyer before being alcoholic she accept a new case to defend an innocent girl that was wrongfully accused and in the process prove that she is fit to be a mother.
That's about the whole idea of the movie, but behind the seemingly obvious drama and court case movie there is a deep web of lies hence the title the movie gets in other countries.
For the most part, the movie plays Kate as Cate struggling to understand the rules of the system and her life and the movie plays for the majority of the time as a drama, but, there are some parts that plays with suspense and some later turnarounds.
The movie is not brilliant in the script department, you can actually guess the outcome of all, but being honest, it doesn't pretend to play as a suspense movie either.
All the court case parts, the innocent girl, the threats and the lies are just secondary plot ideas to picture what is really important here and that's the life of Cate.
This is a very fine movie in the drama department and one you should seriously consider if you're into this genre. The acting of Miss Kate Beckinsale and Nick Nolte are one of the best moments through the movie and proves that Kate is a very good actress.
I love court case movies and this one didn't disappoint and a movie about a flawed main protagonist path to redemption is always a topic i'm fond of.
An easy 6 out of 10
The Trials of Cate McCall
2013
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
The Trials of Cate McCall
2013
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.
Uploaded by: OTTO
June 09, 2014 at 09:11 PM
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Intense Drama and court trial movie
IF YOU DON'T CHANGE, NOTHING CHANGES
Contains midpoint plot spoiler.
Cate (Kate Beckinsale) is on probation from the DAs office. She has a drinking issue which has compounded her problems as it has placed her on the ugly end of a custody case. The bad news is that Nick Nolte is the one helping to keep her sober (search Nolte 2002 DUI arrest photo). In spite of her personal issues, Cate is good in the courtroom and likes to win. She is given a pro bono case of a woman convicted of murder (Anna Anissimova) who claims she is innocent.
As Cate investigates the case she discovers layers of lies and misconduct by the police. She becomes convinced of her innocence and works to get her released in a courtroom case that goes like a hot knife through butter. In fact it was too easy as my John Katzenbach flashbacks materialized before my eyes. Ho-hum. I felt like I had been there and done that before.
The film was done fairly well for a 90 minute production. There were things that weren't explained. Was the car crash an attempt on her life or a co-incidence? In many ways the film felt incomplete. Her personal demons seemed glossed over and exactly how did her relationship fall so fast with her daughter, or did she ever have one?
In many ways it reminded me of a Lifetime film.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.