Review of 'Presumed Innocent' 1.1-1.3

I saw Presumed Innocent -- the movie with Harrison Ford in the lead role -- in 1990. I shortly after read the Scott Turow 1987 novel from which the movie was adapted. That was a long time ago, no blogging, and I was a devoted possessor of a Radio Shack M100. I thought the movie and book were brilliant, with one of the cleverest endings, one of the most unexpected twists, I'd ever come across in a fictitious murder story. I still feel that way right now.

So I was tempted not to see the series that just went up -- more precisely, the first two episodes -- on Apple TV+ last week. But of course I did. And as I was watching these episodes, I realized I had no idea if this new series would tell the same story as the novel and the movie. And I realized that I didn't want to know beforehand, because not knowing that added its own level of suspense.

So far, if my memory from 23 years ago is ago is accurate, the story seems essentially the same. Jake Gyllenhaal is excellent in the lead role -- Rusty Sabich, an ADA in Chicago, whose colleague and lover Carolyn Polhemus is found murdered. Rusty is married, so he has some reason to want Carolyn eliminated -- to save his marriage.

Movies and TV series of course are two very different media -- 120+ minutes vs. 8 episodes of around 50 minutes each to tell a story. So I think there could be some riveting viewing ahead in the series. Also, as of the first two episodes, I really liked Bill Camp, Peter Sarsgaard, and Renate Reinsve. I'm going to review the series episode by episode, and I'll try my very best not to divulge any spoilers.

***

I was struck by the sterling performance of just about every actor in Presumed Innocent 1.3 up on Apple TV+ this week.

[And here let me advise you again not so much about spoilers, but since I saw the 1990 movie with Harrison Ford, I'll try not to in any way indicate the stunning ending of that movie, because I have no idea if this series will end the same way.]

Here are some of my favorite scenes in this sterling episode:

Every scene that O-T Fagbenle as DA Della Guardia is in. I've never seen him before. He has a strange, compelling, magnetic presence that I can't recall seeing any place else, and this makes him instantly memorable. All the more because he's definitely not one of the good guys.

Noma Dumezweni is great as the tough-ass judge. Perfect. Think about the judges we see in Law & Order, except notched up one crucial step. Maybe that's the way judges are in Chicago. (Next time I'm Chicago, please remember -- I'm innocent, Your Honor, innocent!)

The scene in which Rusty ( Jake Gyllenhaal) falls in love with Carolyn (Renate Reinsve), as she gently works to make a little girl who will be testifying feel safe, is tender and beautiful.

And, yeah, every scene with Bill Camp as Horgan, former DA and Rusty's attorney, is fun to see.

But the truth is every character shines in this series, Rusty's wife and their children, the bartender at the beginning of the episode, and Peter Sarsgaard as ADA Molto. I can't recall another series in which every character was so vibrantly portrayed.

It occurred to me that Apple TV+ currently has two series -- Presumed Innocent and Dark Matter -- situated in Chicago. The only thing missing from Presumed Innocent is maybe a scene with one of the Dark Matter Jasons in the background.