What Do The Critics Say?

"Dodgy politics aside, Law Abiding Citizen is a slickly made, trashily entertaining thriller that builds to a suitably explosive climax. To the credit of everyone involved, it's played admirably straight-faced throughout and it's a lot more fun than it ought to be as a result." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Butler, who serves as an Executive Producer, ditches his accent and is an effective villain we agree with. His scenes with Foxx are those standard pas-de-deux between two male stars we expect and demand. Revenge is a dish best served cold by a very angry, naked Gerard Butler." Victoria Alexander FILMSINREVIEW "Increasingly preposterous and asinine, but nonetheless mindlessly entertaining thanks to Gerard Butler's oddly invigorating and captivating performance." Avi Offer NYC MOVIE GURU "F. Gar Gray's far less seasonal Law Abiding Citizen is the other guilty pleasure this week, and arguably the most preposterous picture of the year. The film is competently shot and visceral enough to find a similar audience to the one that applauded the Liam Neeson revenge thriller Taken. Christopher Tookey DAILY MAIL UK

"Gerard Butler finds an amusingly loopy vehicle for his particular brand of B-movie brawn in Law Abiding Citizen, a 1980s throwback that takes hilariously high-minded aim at the plea-bargaining nature of the US justice system. A morally dubious, deliriously demented thriller." SCOTSMAN "If you want a crazy mix of Saw and Shawshank, where a lot of people get killed in nasty ways and Gerard Butler gets his bum out, then this is a decent bet." Robbie Collin NEWS OF THE WORLD "With film, the question is not always, "Do I believe it?"; more often, it is "Do they believe it?" And in the case of Law Abiding Citizen they believe it so much that revenge becomes a thing you can taste." Andrew O'Hagan THIS IS LONDON "Foxx is perfectly cast as the moral compass of the film, but it's Butler's edgy portrayal, walking a thin line between madness and genius, which leaves a lasting impression." Terry Staunton RADIO TIMES "Riddled with supernova-sized plot holes and soaked in clichés, it's that rare breed of film that succeeds despite its credibility-straining premise and black and white morality." Simon Reynolds DIGITAL SPY

The Inside Story "Law Abiding Citizen" follows Clyde Shelton, a seemingly ordinary crime victim and Nick Rice, a Philadelphia prosecutor, down a rabbit hole of violence and revenge, where nothing is as it seems and the law always is one step behind. Producer Lucas Foster worked with screenwriter Kurt Wimmer to develop the initial script. "The basic idea was that a man who had been betrayed by the system decided to teach the system a lesson, from inside jail," says Foster. "We want to believe that when someone is arrested and they’re put into the system, that’s more or less the end of it. Whatever the outcome, proven innocent or proven guilty, that’s the end of the story. In our movie, it’s just the beginning." That unconventional starting point convinced Gerard Butler, who plays Shelton, that "Law Abiding Citizen" was not a standard psychological thriller. "The story hit me in a way that most thrillers don’t," Butler says. "In a lot of ways, it’s completely unexpected. You know right from the start that horrific events take place and you’re completely with one character. It is a very intense, scary story, yet at the same time you end up with empathy and emotion for both characters." The film also takes an incriminating look at the inconsistencies of an overloaded justice system. "The government is a great apparatus," says Foster. "But sometimes it’s a broad sword when a scalpel is called for, especially in complicated matters like justice. If I’m a regular person and this terrible tragedy happens to me, I have what I think is the normal redress. I go to the powers that be, believing I am going to get justice. Clyde Shelton doesn’t get justice and he makes a decision to take matters into his own hands. I’m sympathetic to him. If something that horrible happened to people I cared about, I would want justice for them however it came about. He’s doing what he thinks is right, what he thinks is honorable." The government is represented by Assistant District Attorney Rice, played by Jamie Foxx. "Nick Rice is almost a mirror image of Clyde Shelton," says Foster. "He’s working within the system, but the system doesn’t always work well. That’s the moral dilemma he faces." "Rice’s commitment to the legal system sometimes gets in the way of his commitment to justice," says Oscar ® winning actor Foxx ("Ray"). "Sometimes the way the system works doesn’t allow him to get involved the way he wants. Nick’s a good man. He does everything by the law, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right thing ultimately. The system’s never going to be perfect, so he’s always trying to figure out how to maneuver in an imperfect world." "This movie is not black and white," Foster adds. "Our main characters are locked together by tragedy. They’re both right and they’re both wrong." Alan Siegel, Butler’s partner in the production company Evil Twins, learned about "Law Abiding Citizen" after reading Wimmer’s earlier script, "Salt". "The script was terrific. Kurt introduced himself at an awards ceremony where Gerry won an award for "300". I told him that Gerry and I were great fans and I asked if he had any other scripts. The next day he sent me "Law Abiding Citizen" and I read it immediately. That night I called Gerry and asked him to read the script because Evil Twins might have its first film." Butler who appeared as One Two in Guy Ritchie’s crime epic "RocknRolla", says this film is a standout for him. "I don’t recall ever working on a movie that has gotten me so excited. I feel like its themes are quite profound in some ways and should make us think about how lucky most of us are." Seigel believes "Law Abiding Citizen" will be "one of those rare films that will provoke debates after the credits roll." The producers tapped 2004 Black Reel Award winner F Gary Gray to direct the film based on the strength of his previous work, which includes "The Italian Job", "The Negotiator", "Be Cool" and "Set It Off". "We knew we wanted to work with him," says Foster. "He continues to make really interesting movies. They’re all different in tone. What they have in common is complex characters. This movie required a very deliberate hand and he was the ideal filmmaker for this particular material." Since launching his career in the mid-1990s with the groundbreaking features "Friday" (1995) and "Set It Off" (1996), Gray has developed a reputation as a director of great thoughtfulness and originality. "He’s very quiet," says Foster ("Man on Fire" & "Mr & Mrs Smith"). "But I could see the magic he was making. After watching the dailies, I was always amazed at the character development, and the visual development of the film. It was all in his brain from the beginning. He’s a master at what he does." Foxx has worked with some of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors, including Oliver Stone, Sam Mendes and Michael Mann, but he had never done a film with Gray. The director remembers getting a phone call from Foxx that got the ball rolling. Gray recalls Foxx saying, "I’m attached to this movie and I think you should get involved. It would be perfect for you." "So I read the script and not only was it right up my alley, but I’ve wanted to work with Jamie for years and there couldn’t have been a more perfect project for us to start with." "Gary’s eye is incredible," says three time Image Award winner Jamie Foxx (1998, 2002 & '05). "Right off the bat, the movie looks epic because of the way he shot it, and not a lot of directors are able to do that. He’s able to work in larger-than-life proportions and make people want to give him the best they can on screen." Butler (2007 World Stunt Awards, Action Movie Star of the Year) credits Gray’s passion for the project and non-stop energy for bringing the material to the screen under a great deal of pressure. "Gary came on board and gave life to the words on the page,” says Butler. “We had a great script, but the film is so much better. It’s exciting to look at. The drama comes across brilliantly and he got great performances from all the actors." The idea of a man who takes an entire city hostage from behind bars set Gray’s imagination to working overtime. "How can someone in jail instill that much fear? I thought about Al Capone running his syndicate from jail. I love a cool gangster flick and I also love a great thriller." With the opportunity to work with two gifted actors sweetening the deal, the project was irresistible to him. "This movie doesn’t fit into a normal Hollywood formula," Gray ("A Man Apart") points out. "Normally you have an antagonist and protagonist. You can pretty much predict who they are and what they’ll do. This is a chess game with a twist that you would never expect. Nick Rice, the DA., is on the side of the law, but he can be a jerk. Clyde has been horribly victimized. Throughout the course of the movie, you’re constantly switching allegiances, and depending on the scene, you’re not really sure who to root for." Gray calls Foster a, hands-on producer. "He definitely wants to be heard. You might think that it wouldn’t be a good idea to put two such strong personalities in a room together, but we had a perfect relationship. The best thing about him as a producer was that he knew when to pull the reins tight and he knew when to let them loose. I respect that. He definitely had a lot great ideas, and he’s someone who is strong in that way, but also creative and caring. I want someone like that on my team." Foster, Butler and Siegel began developing Law Abiding Citizen with the idea that Butler would play Nick Rice, the morally conflicted district attorney. During the development process, something changed for Butler. "I found that the more I was arguing for Nick, the more compelling Clyde became for me. One of the issues we always had with Clyde was the risk of him seeming to be a garden variety villain,” he continues. “But I thought, ‘he could be me, he could be you. How would we behave in that situation?’ I wanted audiences to understand his pain. You can laugh with him, you’re charmed by him, but you know inside he’s been destroyed. It was interesting to explore a character I could be terrified of and at the same time is a regular guy I could sympathize with." To prepare for the role, Butler spent time with criminologists, exploring the psychology of serial killers and revenge killers. "I also watched documentaries on killers and I did a good deal of research on the Internet. It was enlightening for me." The role is another step in a deliberately diverse career for Butler. "When you look at the range of Gerry’s work, it’s extremely eclectic," says Siegel (Butler's manager). "He’s gone from romantic comedy to musical to drama to action adventure. And the characters are entirely different." Foxx ("Ali" & "Jarhead") joined the cast because he was intrigued by both the script and the people already committed to the film. "I know when I want to work with certain people. I remember the feeling that I had when I saw "300". Gerard Butler was at the top of his game in that movie and I immediately wanted to do a film with him. On top of that, it’s a cool, interesting story." Working with Foxx to flesh out the character was an enormous learning experience, says Butler. "In our previous drafts, Nick was a little flat. Jamie came in and just made him fly. His Nick is smooth, he’s charismatic, he’s intelligent, he’s witty, and he’s a good family man. It spreads the audience’s sympathy across the board. He’s just out there fighting the fight. But without a doubt, he does have a pretty big ego. “Jamie brought all of those things." Foxx wasn’t afraid to reveal the personal flaws that helped create the volatile situation his character is faced with. "One of the things that Jamie brought to this project that nobody saw on the page was Nick’s arrogance," says Gray. "If he starts off as a go-getter concerned about his own success, then, at the end, it’s a bigger and better arc and there’s more for him to play." The filmmakers were looking for a man to play the mayor of Philadelphia when Alan Siegel had an epiphany. "David Meister, my spouse, is a fashion designer who mentioned Viola Davis was among the stars he was dressing for the Screen Actors’ Guild Award ceremony. We were looking for a man, but why couldn’t the mayor be played by a woman? I saw her commanding performance in Doubt and knew she’d be perfect." "She came in and just killed it," says Foster. "She blew everybody away on the set." Davis says she was attracted to playing the character’s power and authority. "I have to admit I could become addicted to coming on a set and controlling a bunch of testosterone-filled men." 2001 Young Hollywood Award winner Leslie Bibb, was cast as assistant DA, Sarah. "I always get excited when I meet somebody that I really respect as an actor and he’s a good egg. He makes me laugh and he’s so unbelievable at doing impersonations." Bruce McGill ("Cinderella Man") was cast as Nick’s boss and mentor, District Attorney Jonas Cantrell. Colm Meaney ("Layer Cake") and Michael Irby (TV'S "The Unit") were cast as Philadelphia PD Detectives, Dunnigan and Garza. Synopsis

Clyde Shelton is an upstanding family man until his wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. But when the killers are caught, hotshot prosecutor Nick Rice (aka Mr 98%), is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later, the man who got away with murder is found dead. Clyde coolly admits his guilt and then issues Nick a warning: either fix the flawed justice system or learn a lesson the hard way. What follows is a string of spectacular, diabolical assassinations that can be neither predicted nor prevented. Philadelphia is gripped with fear as Shelton's high-profile targets are slain one after another and the authorities are powerless to halt his reign of terror. Only Nick can stop the killing. Now with his own family in Shelton's crosshairs, Nick must find a way to outwit this brilliant, vengeful sociopath.

The Verdict "Everyone complains about injustice and the failure of the courts to provide adequate sentences in criminal cases. Many victims of crime, rightly or wrongly, feel they've been cheated by the courts; that the perpetrator may not have received a sentence commensurate with the severity of their crime and that they (the victims), have been left with a life of pain, anger, sorrow and little hope of closure. If you were a victim of a brutal crime: one in which you lost your partner and child; how would you react if the sentence was inadequate. When the realization sinks in that the system you trusted and believed in has let you down: how would you react? Well, imagine if you had the means to somehow extract your own form of justice on, not only the perpetrator, but also the 'system' that has failed you. How far would you go? That is the focus of Evil Films latest production: "Law Abiding Citizen". It may only be fantasy, but it is an intriguing look at how one man sets out to fix the system. Morally it's a path many of us would never dare tread, but in the hands of director F.Gary Gray, it makes for an explosive confrontation. 3 1/2 STARS. Who's Who?

Jamie Foxx Regina Hall Emerald-Angel Young Gerard Butler Ksenia Hulayev Brooke Mills Colm Meaney Bruce McGill Leslie Bibb Michael Irby Gregory Itzin Christian Stolte Annie Corley Richard Portnow Viola Davis

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Nick Rice Kelly Rice Denise Rice Clyde Shelton Clyde's Daughter Clyde's Wife Detective Dunnigan Jonas Cantrell Sarah Lowell Detective Garza Warden Iger Clarence Darby Judge Laura Burch Bill Reynolds Mayor

The Crew

Director Written by Producers Original Music D.O.P Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Design

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F Gary Gray Kurt Wimmer Gerard Butler/Lucas Foster/Mark Gill Robert Katz/Alan Siegel/Kurt Wimmer Brian Tyler Jonathan Sela Tariq Anwar Deanna Brigidi-Stewart & Joseph Middleton Alex Hajdu Jesse Rosenthal Chryss Hionis Jeffrey Kurland

Run Time 108 minutes Rated ma15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Village Roadshow Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.