Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.
Clint Eastwood's adaptation of John Berendt's bestseller captures Savannah's eccentric atmosphere reasonably well, but the film struggles with its episodic, novelistic structure that doesn't fully translate to screen. The ensemble of colorful Southern characters — including Lady Chablis playing herself — gives the acting category a lift, though Kevin Spacey's Jim Williams feels somewhat underutilized. Cinematography is competent and evokes Southern Gothic atmosphere without being particularly distinguished. The film's novelty lies in its blend of true-crime journalism, Southern Gothic eccentricity, and queer subculture, which gives it a distinctive flavor, but it never fully escapes the feeling of a prestige adaptation that plays it safe. The ending is the weakest element — the courtroom resolution feels anticlimactic and the film meanders toward its conclusion without a satisfying dramatic payoff, a common complaint even from fans of the source material.