Jagged Edge - A Movie Review

We’re going to go over this case again and again until we find the suspect.

Jagged Edge was released to theaters in 1985. Framed for the murder of his wife, Jack Forrester is put on a murder trial. Finding someone to represent him in court is not easy. When Teddy Barnes steps in, a love story forms instead of inspecting the case.

Upon being recommended Jagged Edge, the trailer immediately crested my interest. Criminal thrillers are on-edge films with riveting stories. Packed with a great narrative, solid acting, and a message that is sure to give you goosebumps, Jagged Edge is a difficult love story focusing on a woman’s consciousness.

Glenn Close never fails to captivate an audience. Usually typecast as strong-willed women, Teddy lingers in fears of self-doubt. The film did an effective job demonstrating that side of her. Though some of her decisions were questionable, Close proves that she is an incredibly emotive actress.

It was great to see Jeff Bridges in one of his early roles. I have always been a fan of his work. Whether it was his character acting like a bad actor at one moment of the film or Bridges’ character choices, he managed to seize the psyche of a deranged man. You can tell when he was pulling someone into his charade. That is good acting when even the audience is tricked.

Close and Bridges worked well together, especially in their romantic chemistry. However, Jagged Edge implements a prominent example for couples to always be on the lookout. Jack manipulates Teddy, messing with her head on whose side she is on.

Other credits to include are Peter Coyote, Robert Loggia, Maria Mayenzet, Dave Austin, and Lance Henrickson. The detective who was always swearing was one of my favorite parts. Actors studied realistic portrayals of people who work in criminal investigations.

Props go to the writers for the subplot of Teddy with her family. These scenes allowed a break from the murder case. The dynamic between Teddy and her children is endearing. We easily get their dynamic from these quick scenes.

Divorce is a subtle topic. It is handled with the best of intentions for the message of the story. This film is an illustration for divorced families teaching them you can still have a healthy relationship.

Jagged Edge showcases all the raw moments of what goes into a murder trial. When a trial is going on, it’s the talk of the world. Costuming or Makeup departments created subtleties on how this trial is wearing down on everyone, especially Teddy.

Direction is highly crucial in court scenes. The camera angles notably enforced how viewers should never take their eyes away because there are hidden clues everywhere.

Richard Marquand excelled in his direction of Jagged Edge selling a suspenseful thriller followed by an impeccable character direction. Depending on if it was intentional on who the killer was, Marquand made it so audiences would never stop guessing either. Preferably I would have kept the ending more subtle than the revelation we got.

Camera angles heightened the suspense. There was good pacing throughout. The beginning of the film sets viewers into the tone of the story on a dark and rainy night. The opening and conclusion of the film were edited very well creating the right tension.

It did remind me of a Hitchcock film. Arguably the plot is something that we have seen over time, but it still managed to deliver a compelling story.

If you have not seen Jagged Edge I recommend that you do so immediately. It had me guessing until the very end.