Primal Fear is probably most notable as Edward Norton's first film, though it plays host to a number of other great performances, such as Laura Linney, John Mahoney and Richard Gere. I was especially impressed with Richard Gere's performance, mostly because I tend to not like Richard Gere in anything.
Gere plays a headline-chasing defense lawyer, Martain Vail, who volunteers to take the case of Aaron Stampler (Norton), a teenager at the center of a high-profile murder case involving an archbishop. Just to make things more interesting, Vail's ex-girlfriend, Janet Veneble (Linney), is assigned as the prosecutor. After Stampler's arrest is caught on live TV, Vail is convinced that he is obviously guilty; however, when he learns that Stampler suffers from multiple personality disorder and the archbishop was caught up in some shady dealings, things become much more complicated.
As legal thrillers go, Primal Fear is as good as they come. As the case plays out, it takes numerous twists and turns. The real magic is that it manages to do so without becoming bogged down or too complicated. There are a few minor plot holes or areas that could use additional explanation, but none of these deficiencies are so glaring that they disrupt the core story. The surrounding performances are great, but Norton really stands out, which makes the accompanying "Star Witness" feature that much more interesting. The casting featurettes focuse primarily on Norton, who was seemingly plucked out of nowhere and even beat out a few named stars to win the role.
Another interesting feature is "Psychology of Guilt," a short documentary on the insanity defense. It doesn't sound like the more interesting of features, but it is probably one of the sets' better extras. It's interesting and I only wish it was a little longer.
The list of extras is rounded out by a short "Making-of" feature and crew commentary. The "Making-of" feature is okay, though I'm not much of a fan of behind-the-scenes features about character-driven movies, or really any movie that doesn't have effects involved in some way. Commentary is provided by nearly everyone involved in the film except the stars. Like the previous feature, it is just okay and not particularly enlightening.
Primal Fear: Hard Evidence Edition is an easy recommendation for fans of legal thrillers or of any of the stars involved. When it comes to deciding between the Blu-ray and DVD versions, it's more of a personal call. If you just want the movie, go with the DVD; but if you want the clearer picture and sound, go Blu-ray.
