- Investigative scholar Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is a debunker of modern "miracles," bringing scientific light to superstition and fraud. But events in tiny Haven, Louisiana, defy even her expertise. There, the 10 Biblical Plagues seem to be reoccurring. And the more she seeks answers, the more she questions her own beliefs. Two-time Academy Award (R) winner Swank headlines this electrifying
Two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell deliver unforgettable performances in this incredible true story that co-stars Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a young woman whose world is shattered when her beloved brother Kenny (Rockwell) is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Steadfastly convinced of his innocence, Betty Anne embarks on an 18-year journey to set Kenny free, using state-of-the-art forensic technology. T! he unshakable bond between a brother and sister, at the heart of this real-life drama, will stir your emotions and inspire you. Hilary Swank gives another tremendous performance--steely, determined, vulnerable--in the courtroom/family drama
Conviction. The film is based on a real case, of Betty Anne Waters (Swank), who as a last resort puts herself through law school to take on the case of her brother, Kenny (Sam Rockwell, also outstanding). Kenny is convicted of murder, despite a weak prosecution case, but Betty Anne can't get any lawyer to explore a retrial or appeal. Director Tony Goldwyn (
Dexter,
Damages) keeps the action moving along crisply and believably, even during the almost interminable stretches of Kenny's imprisonment. The terrific script by Pamela Gray (
Music of the Heart) weaves in occasional shadows of doubt about whether Kenny is actually innocent, so that a story that could be formulaic is anything but. The viewer isn't sure mos! t of the way through
Conviction if Kenny is guilty or n! ot--but is completely swept up in Swank's incredible performance depicting Betty Anne's
own conviction--that "you do anything for your family. Period." As she did in
Boys Don't Cry, Swank puts her own gritty spin on a real-life character, whom she inhabits like a second skin. Her Betty Anne is a blue-collar pit bull, and her sheer determination is itself a force of nature. The supporting cast of
Conviction also shines, including Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's law school pal, and an especially effective Juliette Lewis playing Kenny's broken-down ex-girlfriend, who's buried some secrets of her own. Also a standout is Melissa Leo as the policewoman whose initial arrest of Kenny might have been loaded with her own agenda. The chemistry, especially between Rockwell, a man very nearly defeated after years behind bars, and Swank, is palpable and will capture the viewer in intense dramatic territory that won't be soon forgotten. --
A.T. HurleyInvestigative scholar ! Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) is a debunker of modern "miracles," bringing scientific light to superstition and fraud. But events in tiny Haven, Louisiana, defy even her expertise. There, the 10 Biblical Plagues seem to be reoccurring. And the more she seeks answers, the more she questions her own beliefs. Two-time Academy Award (R) winner Swank headlines this electrifying Dark Castle Entertainment production that reaps locusts, frogs, a river of blood and more - all to eye-filling, fear-inducing, heart-probing, must-see effect.
The Reaping capitalizes on cheesy clichés to begin with, rendering it even less scary than predecessors like
Children of the Corn, The Devil's Rain, Satan's Blood, or
All the Colors of the Dark. Overuse of CG special effects ruin this already bad film about Louisiana State University scientist Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank), who heads to the bayou to investigate what at first she denies is a Biblical plague. The river has tur! ned to blood, frogs fall from the sky, cattle die, and the tow! nspeople keel over covered with red bumps, while Katherine, who happens to have been an ordained minister before she became a university professor, struggles to justify these horrendous events sans religion. Eventually, Katherine's skepticism places her in danger, as the town lays blame on Loren McConnell (AnnaSophia Robb), bewitched daughter of a local Satan worshipping family, and the one whom Katherine tries to protect since Loren recalls her own deceased daughter. As Katherine and Loren battle as angel and devil, they learn to instead forge Team Faith against the townsfolk who are all part of a sinister, inbred, Satanic cult. The film is badly cast, and the acting is horrendous, save Hilary Swank, who at least looks sexy traversing the swamps with a hunting knife hooked through her belt. The
Rosemary's Baby ending is the icing on the cake. There is nothing original about
The Reaping, except that it might be the biggest rip-off of previous Satanic cult films ever ma! de.
â€"Trinie Dalton
