Summary: The film is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), an unemployed single mother who exonerated her brother Kenneth "Kenny" Waters (Sam Rockwell) who was convicted in 1983 of murdering Katharina Brow.
So I have a soft spot for Sam Rockwell, he was robbed last year for Moon and I love Confessions of a dangerous mind, because of this I probably had higher hopes for this one than I probably should have. I was expecting Dead Man Walking but instead I got a washing up Gone Baby Gone. The story is confused to say the least, you begin getting into Kenny's (Rockwell) story; his brushes with the law, his smart ass attitude and his troubled youth, you then flit to Betty Anne (Swank); struggling with law school, working long hours at a low paid job and juggling family life and then to Betty Anne and Kenny's shared childhood of neglect and strife, ENOUGH ALREADY.
The film wants to focus on Betty Anne (Swank) and while your hoping for this to develop into a Jake Gyllenhaal Zodiac performance it just sort of fizzles out. I would have been much happier watching Kenny's (Rockwell) prison story or a story about their troubled childhood but the film just plods along with nothing much to say. As most films of this type there is a twist which, in this case, would have been a much better story angle to turn into a film!
I stalled on both Rockwell and Swank; Rockwell rehashing his role from The Green Mile with a little of Moon and Swank reminding me of her deadpan underacting of the Black Dahlia. There is an impressive supporting cast that is wasted; Clea DuVall, Julietee Lewis and Melissa Leo, yet there was no escaping the hammy performances of Minnie Driver or Peter Gallagher.
Overall: maybe watch if it's on the box but a waste of £6.20. 1 out of 5.
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