Career Woman: A Courtroom Drama That Forgets to be Dramatic

Is it worth your Tuesday night?

If you have a thing for old black-and-white courtroom dramas where everyone talks in perfect, clipped sentences, you might find something to like here. If you prefer your mysteries to have a bit of dirt under their fingernails or characters who don't feel like they were pulled out of a bargain-bin script, maybe skip it. It’s definitely for the classic film completionists.

Claire Trevor is essentially the only reason this thing stays afloat. She has this way of looking exhausted that feels genuine, unlike the rest of the cast who seem to be competing for who can be the most theatrical.

The whole movie hinges on the contrast between the two lawyers. The first one is so flashy it’s almost distracting. He’s got that classic, over-acted courtroom strut that makes you wonder how he ever passed the bar in the first place. Then the new guy shows up. He’s quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet. You spend half the movie waiting for him to actually do something besides look concerned.

Odd little details

• The courtroom set looks like it’s held together by tape and good intentions.
• There’s a background actor in the jury who spends the entire trial looking like he’s trying to remember if he left the stove on.
• The pacing is a bit of a mess. It takes forever to get to the point, then wraps up the entire resolution in about three minutes.

I couldn't help but think about how much tighter the tension was in Payment Deferred. That movie understood how to let a scene breathe before choking you with it. Here, the director seems scared of silence.

There is this one scene where they are arguing over evidence, and the camera just stays on a door hinge for about four seconds too long. I’m not sure if that was a mistake or some weird artistic choice, but it was the most interesting part of the third act. It made me realize I was staring at the wall instead of the screen.

The movie doesn't really try to be anything other than a filler flick. It’s got a beginning, a middle, and an end, and it doesn't try to challenge your brain too much. Sometimes that’s fine. Other times, you just want the characters to stop talking and let the plot move along.

Is it a classic? No. Is it a disaster? Also no. It’s just kind of there. Like an old sweater you find in the back of the closet—perfectly fine to wear, but you wouldn't choose it for a big event. 🧥