The Rainmaker . Metro Pulse . 08-24-98

The Rainmaker

DIRECTED BY: Francis Coppola

REVIEWED: 08-24-98

The Rainmaker (1997, R) is a lousy movie, and it's lousy in more ways than your average Grisham thriller. Not only are the plot and character development weak as hell, but the pacing is lugubrious and devoid of tension. You'd think Coppola had never made a suspense film before. Lost in the mess is a large, talented cast (Danny DeVito, Matt Damon, Claire Danes, Jon Voight, Mickey Rourke). The story—about a rapacious but oddly stupid insurance company and the crusading young lawyer who brings it to its knees—is ridiculous, with no pay-offs whatsoever. A thriller should have some sort of thrills, some plot element that you can't immediately decipher at the beginning of the film. There's none of that here. In one scene, lawyer-hero Damon asks lawyer-villain Voight, "Do you even remember the first time you sold out?" The Rainmaker makes you want to ask Coppola the same question.

--Jesse Fox Mayshark

Full Length Reviews
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker

Capsule Reviews
The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker

Other Films by Francis Coppola
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Jack

Film Vault Suggested Links
The Gingerbread Man
Niagara, Niagara
The Minus Man

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.