When Justice Fails (1999) User Reviews

A Very Reasonable Film-Noir

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 24 February 2004]

Detective Tom Chaney (Jeff Fahey) is a lonely man, having a new partner, the gay Detective Rod Lambeau (Carl Marotte). They are investigating two similar murders in Manhattan, and their main suspect is the successful prosecutor Katy Wesson (Marlee Matlin). During the investigations, Tom and Katy fall in love for each other. However, the lack of trust of Tom on Katty leads to a series of problems. The end of the story reveals many secrets. This film-noir is very reasonable, but something is missing in the story to be an excellent movie. The screenplay really need some improvement. Marlee Martin is very expressive and has a good performance. Jeff Fahey and Carl Marotte are also good as two colleagues who learn to respect each other. Anyway, it is a worthwhile entertainment and hooks the attention of the viewer. This is the second time that I watch this movie and I do not regret. The IMDB User Rating of 4.1 is unfair. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `Assassinato em Manhattan' (`Murder in Manhattan')

The whole case is BS! And your knee deep in it!

[sol1218 · 5/10 · 21 February 2008]

(Some Spoilers) When two exonerated repeat sex offenders, Dean Harvey & William Bosler, are found poisoned to death with their long locks of hair shown off the main suspect in their murders is the Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted them Katy Wesson.

Miss. Wesson, or Katy, has a near-perfect record in convictions with the exception of just two, in over well over one hundred, cases. The two that got away from Katy in having them convicted and put behind bars just happened to be Harvey & Bosler!

Put on the case of the poisoned and exonerated sex offenders are detectives Tom Chaney and his gay, who makes a point of that fact, partner Rod Lambeau. The two make a very strange pair with Chaney always looking for action in getting in bed with women he picks up at local nightclubs and the far more serious Lambeau looking for clues, and in some cases going undercover in drag, on the internet to track down criminals. Lambeau is also very into human psychology and body movements that in the end helps him break this very strange and baffling case. A fact that his partner Det. Chaney, who's only body movements he's interested in are that of sexy and curvy women, tragically overlooked.

It's Det. Chaney who in trying to track down both Harvey and Bosler's killer gets, or so he thinks, romantically involved with Assistant D.A Katy Wesson. Katy who's been hearing impaired since she was a little girl has her weirdo as well as Siamese-twin-like, in that he seems to be psychically connected to Katy, interpreter of sigh language Josh Kane with her almost at all times. This get's Det. Chaney a bit ticked off at him in feeling that Kane, an obnoxious and overbearing pain in the neck, is standing between him and his love Katy! At the same time Kane who has absolutely no use for Det. Chaney or his partner Lambeau is somehow involved with Katy's widowed mom Pauline Wesson.

***SPOILER ALERT***Mrs. Wesson is not only insanely overprotective of her deft daughter Katy but is also keeping a number of facts about her childhood from both the police, who are investigating her, and her psychiatrist Dr. Janice Blakin. Dr. Balkin is trying to cure Katy from an extremely traumatic event in her childhood: Katy's father's murder! Det. Chaney has meanwhile gotten, to the point of losing his sanity and his job, completely infatuated with Katy. Det. Chaney's obsession with Katy gets to the point where he's given a warning from the court to stay within 100 yards from her in the fact that she accused him of not only constantly stalking her but also beating her up!

This whole off the wall adventure comes full circle when Det. Chaney, with the help of his concerned partner Det. Lambeau, finally realizes just who and what he's dealing with. By then that it's a bit too late for him to do anything but, together with Katy Wesson, suffer the consequences!

I kept watching *because* of Marlee.

[karenizcool · 6/10 · 20 May 2008]

I saw this film on TV & I sure am glad I didn't pay to see it (okay..so the cable if you're being technical). The writing was stupid. Throughout the film I was utterly confused because they never explained anything or brought up random facts that's suppose to "help" us figure out the mystery. Some parts of the plot we're unnecessary and had nothing to do with the story.

I thought Marlee did a fantastic job for the crap she was given. The whole movie was just weird, and I just kept watching because of her. Honestly, don't watch this unless you are a Marlee fan or Jeff Fahey fan.

When Writing Fails

[txplumwine · 19 January 2004]

I'm not sure that anyone could be charitable enough to say that this is a great movie. The writing is fairly trite, and any high-schooler with a C average could see the "twists" coming a mile away. But to fault Marlee Matlin for it (and I do realize that was done some time ago), and in such insulting terms? Unnecessary.

First, character actors do important work, so attempting to slander one by using the term is pointless. A low number of leading roles does not necessarily indicate a lack of success. Also, categorizing her as an amateur? An Academy Award for her first movie role ever (in 1986), then a number of years in standout *character* roles to a great deal of critical acclaim (ever heard of The West Wing?) - that certainly doesn't add up to a rookie career.

What was most insulting, though, was the "what a surprise" comment. Why focus on an actor's disability just because you don't care for them? Admittedly, Marlee Matlin would be unable to play a character without a disability - there's no way to hide deafness, or an inability to speak without a deaf "accent." But she is eloquent, expressive, and impossible to ignore in most any part. Uninformed, prejudiced comments can't take that away from her.

For Fahey and Matlin fans only

[mikemdp · 3/10 · 21 January 2013]

Gotta wonder about Jeff Fahey and Marlee Matlin.

Here are two decent actors – expressive, appealing, hard-working – who went from enjoyable network series shows to substandard direct-to-video fare while seemingly at the top of their game.

"When Justice Fails" isn't as bad as some of their other DTV pictures – just try to sit through Fahey's "Absolute Zero" all the way through – but it requires too much patience and forgiveness from the viewer, without working hard enough to deserve it.

Fahey's a hard-boiled homicide detective and Matlin is a D.A. who somehow becomes the suspect in a spate of serial killings.

The movie begins to deteriorate once Fahey inevitably becomes romantically involved with Matlin, and yet, remains the lead detective on the case. Really, that's OK with the cops? Aside from a few "Yer throwin' yer career down the toilet!" admonitions from his scene-chewing captain, nobody seems to be too concerned about the really huge conflict of interest there.

Tsk-tsking the situation occasionally, too, is his new partner, who announces early on that he's gay, because Not That There's Anything Wrong With That.

As the movie chugs along, it becomes a decent, if pedestrian whodunit, as we're made to wonder if the killer might be Matlin, her creepy sign-language interpreter, her wacko diva mother, or even Fahey's partner.

The reveal isn't very surprising and only somewhat satisfying, as it leaves so many other questions unanswered.

Aside from Fahey and Matlin, who are charming as usual, most of the other actors are hammy and unappealing. The one exception is Canadian actor Carl Marotte as Fahey's partner, who has a pleasant Zachary Quinto aura about him.

The direction is heavy-handed and obvious. At one point, the camera shook so badly for no discernible reason, I wondered whether the cameraman may have zipped his fly with one hand and held the camera with the other.

If you're a fan of Fahey's or Matlin's it's worth a watch. Otherwise, "When Justice Fails" fails.

Slow, dull, boring

[smokehill retrievers · 2/10 · 4 November 2001]

It's hard for anyone, even Jeff Fahey, to carry an unskilled amateur like Marlee Matlin through a film. He tries, to his credit. Matlin is essentially a character actress who can (what a surprise) manage a "handicapped" character, but her essentially zero range and inability to hold anyone's attention should keep her out of major roles like this one. This is about the third movie she's ruined, and I for one am getting tired of it. Soon she'll b e like Ed Asner -- an early warning to "skip this film."

This one isn't awful, but it isn't worth watching unless there's absolutely nothing on anywhere else.

OK crime drama

[wrlang · 6/10 · 23 September 2006]

When Justice Fails is about a couple of cops that track down a kinky murderer. The movie runs pretty smoothly from start to finish and has some good acting. Maitlin plays a troubled prosecutor that cop Fahey falls for. No reason to question that, she's great. Some high profile murders keep the cops running. Fahey's tough guy gay partner is a character unto himself in this film, a mild Dirty Harry type in the NYPD Blue kind of setting, but a good guy. Some good twists and turns as the cops suspect everyone in the film of being the murderer. Finally, Fahey figures out who it is and that brings us to the end of the film. If you want fast paced action, go somewhere else. If you want an OK crime drama, this is a good one.

A poignant tale of star crossed lovers through beautiful images and taut story telling.

[squeeze-5 · 10/10 · 30 October 1999]

Check out the incredible Title Sequence. Marlee Maitlin does her best role since Children of a lesser God. If you haven't see this movie yet, RENT IT.

Jeff Fahey leads a brilliant cast, including Montreal native Carl Morotte.

Holds your attention but slow at times.

[Graff-2 · 6/10 · 6 July 1999]

I found this film to be slightly suspenseful. The cast of Jeff Fahey, and Marlie Matlin carried the film. I felt the rest of the cast overdid their parts in an effort to make the film appear better than it was. I viewed this film on Canadian Superchannel at 12:00 Midnight. At this time it would be fair to say it had little if any challenges to overcome to be the best program to watch. If not for the two previously mentioned actors, I would probably rate this film a "4".