When you have the slightest suspicion that your movie lacks the necessary gravitas, who ya gonna call? Morgan Freeman.

The 65-year-old veteran of The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en and, most recently, The Sum of All Fears is the man to draft in when your lightweight offering needs a little serious-minded ballast.

And without Freeman's grizzled presence as a "wildcard" former military attorney here, this paper-thin confection would run the risk of blowing away.

You know Charlie Grimes (Freeman) comes from the other side of the tracks because he's a reformed alcoholic and he treats his dog as if it's human.

High-powered defence lawyer Claire Kubik (Judd) is forced to rely on his unorthodox services when her lantern-jawed hubby Tom (Caviezel) is arrested by the FBI.

It transpires that he's not called Tom at all but Ronald Chapman... and he apparently gunned down nine civilians in cold blood during a botched covert operation in El Salvador 15 years before.

He's facing a military court - an area of the law Claire knows nothing about. So it's not long before Charlie gets the call and is relishing the opportunity of getting revenge on the brasshats who dragged him down.

It's too simple, you're thinking. And you're right. So into the mix are thrown Jackie (Peet), Claire's dippy sister, who's soon getting jiggy with fresh-faced official army lawyer Lieutenant Embry (Adam Scott).

To complicate matters still further, it appears that dodgy Oliver North types with crew-cuts and eye patches are determined to make Tom take the rap and save their illustrious careers.

There's boxes of red herrings and a bit of behind-the-scenes detective work but the final twist is only really half a revolution.

Judd is competent as the hotshot brief who also shoots pool and swigs Bud, while Peet is really the best thing about it as the kooky sibling who happens to have all the best lines.

This can't make its mind up whether it wants to be a taut courtroom drama or comedy... so what you get is a hard-boiled thriller which is essentially soft-centred.

Tim Evans