Released in Britain as Ghosts of the Past, this film memorably tackles an emotional subject, even if it doesn't quite do it full justice. . In 1963, a black civil rights leader was shot and killed on his own doorstep by a white racist (James Woods), who was freed after two successive all-white juries failed to agree. Then, 25 years later, the case was re-prosecuted by a determined assistant DA (Alec Baldwin) and finally gets his breakthrough after gaining the confidence of the victim's widow (Whoopi Goldberg). There's some plodding dialogue and the film sometimes lacks force, but Baldwin and Woods are first rate and this is an important story decently told. James Woods has special make-up to age him.

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