richard gere can be a commanding actor , but he's not always in great films . 
everything comes together here . 
gere is a big time chicago defense attorney who takes on a seemingly unwinable case in hopes of even more publicity . 
it doesn't go exactly as he expects . 
gere's client , aaron ( edward norton ) , is a shy stuttering tennessee boy who is accused of brutally murdering and mutilating a catholic archbishop . 
the evidence is stacked against him . 
he was caught running from the scene covered in the bishop's blood . 
his bloody footprints are all over the murder scene . 
he has a relationship with the priest . 
gere talks to the boy , believes that he is actually innocent and sets about finding the real killer . 
despite the lawyer's proclamations that he doesn't care about the guilt of his clients and that the real thrill is gambling with people's lives , he becomes involved with aaron and is determined to free him . 
lots of complications and twists . 
the prosecuting attorney is gere's former co-worker and lover . 
they both work each other's motives to their legal advantages and it gets messy . 
her boss had major economic dealings with the archbishop that went sour and seems to have crime connections . 
aaron gets weirder and weirder as the trial goes on . 
gere's case is falling apart and he is faced with about a dozen ethical dilemmas . 
gere is exceptional as the well-dressed reserved counselor , but just once , i wanted to see him kick back and come out of his " suit " persona . 
even when he loses it , you don't see very far inside . 
norton's aaron is convincing : he comes across as the backwoods kid misplaced in the big city . 
the supporting cast does a fine job of holding together the story . 
as with most of the effective courtroom dramas , the cinematography is crisp and rich . 
the story will keep you on the edge of your seat . 
nothing is what it seems .