Anyone who knows me or who is a regular reader, knows of my unabashed admiration and respect for Nic Cage. While his chosen roles and performances are sometimes spot on and sometimes not, he never ceases to stretch himself and go outside the box with interesting, eclectic diversity. In SEEKING JUSTICE, Cage is in unfamiliar territory as the bookish Will Gerard which lends itself well to Cage delivering one of his best performances in some time.
A high school teacher, Will is married to the lovely Laura, a successful concert cellist. From all appearances, they are happy, in love and successful living the good life in the post-Katrina revitalized Big Easy. But after Laura is attacked and raped, Will elects to seek justice compliments of a secret Organization comprised of vigilante citizens that has infiltrated every socio-economic and political level of local society. Approached in the emergency room of the hospital by a seemingly affluent man named Simon offering “justice”, in a dazed stupor, Will asks no questions. He only knows his wife has been attacked. Their perfect life has been turned upside down. And he wants justice. And the price for exacting this justice? A favor. No money. Just, a favor that will be requested via a phone call, identified by the code phrase “The hungry rabbit jumps.”
From the moment Will accepts Simon’s offer of help, we see him spiral downwards from confident, happy, assuredness into a fear driven mania consumed by stress and secrets - not something we often see from the uber-confident Nic Cage, which makes SEEKING JUSTICE particularly delicious to watch.
There is something about New Orleans that brings out the best in Nic Cage. His love and knowledge of New Orleans bodes well for the film and the character. You believe Will's love for Laura. You completely accept the fact that he's playing a teacher. And the chemistry between he and Jones gives us something we so so rarely see - a rock solid committed couple. Watching Cage go through the emotional trauma of realizing that his "repayment" of a favor is much more than just “a favor” - very methodical, very true to life as he gets antsy and nervous, forgets little things like kissing his wife goodbye, casting his glance to the ground and not looking directly at people as he does in the beginning of the film. Cage’s little nuances play beautifully, serving both the character and story well.
It's rare that we see Nic Cage have good chemistry with female leads but in SEEKING JUSTICE, he and January Jones are a dynamite fit. And what about Jones? (Oh, she has come a long way since I interviewed her at LAFF years ago for "Swedish Auto"!) The no-nonsense strength and sensibility that she brings to Laura is refreshing, believable and welcome. I would love to see her reprise this character in a tv series or movie sequel. It's time for tv to have another "Hart to Hart" type couple! And the depths that the premise of SEEKING JUSTICE can go is perfect for an ongoing series and the characters of Will and Laura Gerard.
Guy Pearce easily handles the role of Simon. Always excelling at walking the fine line of right and wrong, good and bad, it’s as if Simon was tailor-made for Pearce. Slick, mysterious. And that wide-eyed innocent look that Pearce can turn into faux mocking? Brilliant. From the outset, there is no ambiguity about Guy Pearce's Simon. He just oozes malevolence. The most interesting and surprising character construction, however, comes with Harold Perrineau's Jimmy, Will’s best friend and the high school principal. Not one to disclose spoilers, suffice to say, Perrineau’s Jimmy is a big surprise.
Then we have Xander Berkeley. I make it a point to never miss one of his films, no matter how big or how small. He is a phenomenal character actor who always adds a new dimension to a film and here is no different. As NOPD Lt. Durgan, Berkeley made me chuckle with his off-handed nonchalance and confidence while adding his own layer of mystery to the story.
What I find most interesting about SEEKING JUSTICE, however, is that the strongest character and performance is, in fact, January Jones. Despite the depth, experience and testosterone fueled jumping hungry rabbits, it is Jones who sidles to the forefront, satisfyingly going toe-to-toe with the big boys.
I am most appreciative that the filmmakers have gotten beyond the "accent must fit the city" and but for Xander Berkeley, no accents were inflected into the characters leading us to just assume that everyone migrated from another part of the US. By eliminating regional accents, the film also opens up to a variety of characters, something that resonates with a New Orleans setting and the city’s reconstruction.
Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, SEEKING JUSTICE is written by cinematographer turned writer, Todd Hickey, and Robert Tannen. Delivering well-drawn, complete characters, the film bodes unexpected twists and turns within both the story and individual characters, all of which are deftly orchestrated by veteran director Roger Donaldson, who not only maintains the build of suspense, but does so with an even pacing that keeps the film from stagnating or becoming rote.
This is not to say SEEKING JUSTICE doesn’t have its problems, starting with the initial set up introducing us to the "organization". I just didn't buy - and still don't buy - a strange man coming up to an intelligent rational man like Cage's Will, and out of the blue striking up a conversation, knowing Will’s name, the name of Will's wife and particulars of the incident. I don't care how grief-stricken I might be, the red flags and radar would be up like gang-busters. However, I see the necessity of Will accepting and not questioning this stranger's knowledge. On the other hand, as the film progresses, the unveiling and disclosure of the depth of The Organization” is fascinating, not to mention its different types of members from all walks of life, is something made believable by the performances...and the fact that the actors are not attempting poor New Orleans accents. A big hurdle that is never overcome though revolves around Simon and The Organization. The man drives very nice cars and wears very fine designer suits, yet, if no one "pays" money for the Organization's services, how is it being financed?
I have always loved director Roger Donaldson's work. From “No Way Out” to “Dante’s Peak” and even, “Cocktail”. Donaldson has an easy unforced style to his films, yet knows how to build story and tension through his characters, while making you care about them and be interested in them. He succeeds here again, also by employing well timed and executed action and chase sequences. Sadly, there's nothing exceptional about the visuals, which is a shame, as there is so much more that could have been done with the New Orleans backdrop and the premise and structure of The Organization.
As stated above, overall, SEEKING JUSTICE feels more like tv drama, especially with the open ending, leaving me with a sense of "tune in next week for the ongoing adventures of Will and Laura Gerard" as opposed to a film that has a decisive conclusion. Having said that, rest assured that this hungry rabbit is jumping to see SEEKING JUSTICE made into a tv series.
Will Gerard - Nic Cage
Laura Gerard - January Jones
Simon - Guy Pearce
Jimmy - Harold Perrineau
Lt. Durgan - Xander Berkeley
Directed by Roger Donaldson. Written by Todd Hickey and Robert Tannen.
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