Good performances and Pollack's effortlessly adept directing lifts this above the usual fare. Based, but not religiously adherent to, John Grisham's novel of the same name, the paranoia and suspense builds as Cruise tries to escape the web he seems entangled firmly in. The film's Oscar-caliber performances are undercut somewhat by standard thriller cliches like a truck full of soft down conveniently being in the street when the hero needs to jump out of a window and the like. The film is also overlong, 2 1/2 hours is at least a half hour too long to tell this tale, and too many needless characters are introduced that nothing productive is done with. Other than that, it's a quality job by everyone involved, and recommended for thought-provoking and exciting entertainment.

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