THE FIRM **

"The Firm" isn't really much of a film despite its Grade A credentials but it's certainly entertaining. It was a John Grisham novel and we all know Grisham isn't Fitzgerald or Hemingway. He writes big, thick page-turners and this is a big, thick page-turner of a movie with an all-star cast being juicy in juicy roles. Tom Cruise, (smug but very good), is the young hot-shot lawyer recruited by 'the firm', only to find it's not only far from squeaky-clean but positively demonic in its dealings. Jeanne Tripplehorn, (wasted in a bland role), is his wife, Gene Hackman is his smooth talking mentor and there's a first-rate supporting cast that includes Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter, (Oscar-nominated), Terry Kinney, Wilford Brimley and David Strathairn. Sydney Pollack was the producer/director and while this may lack the depth that he brought to some of his other projects, it's a decent thriller and good fun though at two and a half hours it is a bit on the long side.