MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL (1997) *** Clint Eastwood has a great feel for the charm and idiosyncrasies of the Deep South. I don't know much about Savannah, I was in the bus station there for an hour once, so I don't know if it comes out smelling so much like New Orleans because it really is, or because Clint is such a jazz cat. But it's cool, and it feels right on. Kevin Spacey's southern gentleman is unflappable and tough, but has the perfect measure of softness as coating. His accent even passes, there is some variation. John Cusack's New York journalist is slightly less perfect, but he does a great job of getting across the concept that this is a highly intelligent young man hobbled by questions of confidence. I'm not sure if the film could have used more linkage between the setting and Cusack's Big Apple eccentricities or not. I mean, for all the length of the film (155 minutes) most everything is touched upon lightly, almost in passing. This works to great effect in the trial scenes, where for once the limitations of the evidence code and the reality of courtrooms aren't savaged. Yes, it could all happen like this, maybe even probably, including the jury foreman. And even better, we're only treated to a few lines of testimony from each witness, like highlights from someone who actually knows how to pick 'em. As good as Spacey and Cusack are, two of the peripheral characters are even better: Lady Chablis is incredible (type-cast or not) as the transvestite, an exquisite mixture of affectation and integrity. But (Australian?!) Jack Thompson is best of all, as the southern defense lawyer. I've met a lot of these guys, and Thompson does an incredible job of portraying it all: the intelligence and folksiness, the smeared borderline ethics, and most of all the elegance and humanity. An absolutely historic portrayal, worthy of comparison to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.
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