About Dour Presumption

Post 1570:

They’re doing a remake of Presumed Innocent on Apple right now. I saw the first two episodes and it got me thinking about the movie and the book. Which one is best? Well, the show isn’t finished, so I’m going to presume (sorry) that it’s going to get better, but at this point I’d choose the movie.

It’s a dour story. Somber, gloomy, cloudy, etc. Basically a dark and brooding atmosphere throughout. I think the Harrison Ford film does a good job at making this entertaining. Not an easy task. Can’t say the show is doing it for me. Now, this could be bias. There are some plot deviations and casting calls that I would say are ill-advised at best and ridiculous at worst, but so far I have to admit that it comes down to opinion.

An IP so dour yet successful enough for three iterations is interesting to look at, though. Gloomy and morose doesn’t sound very fun. Not usually. As far as the book, it’s a page-turner with a great hook. Court dramas are naturally dramatic, and for me the most interesting aspect of the book and film is the serious and seemingly professional insight of a prosecutor on trial for murder.

Watching Harrison Ford have to sit there while he puts another man’s life in his hands is very compelling. There’s not a lot of histrionics or whinging when things go unexpectedly. It’s a mature look at a dark situation. Not perfect, of course.

Could it use a little more pace? Maybe amp up the sex and violence? That’s a story choice, but it would take away from the grounded tone. Sometimes gloomy stories that feel close to reality are more effective. Life, after all, can be a slog. Bad cards get dealt. Shiz happens. Unless you’ve lived a unabashedly charmed existence. I’ll presume you haven’t. Cheers and see you after.