Search - Without Evidence on DVD

Another Early Angelina Jolie Film - For Fans Only

turtlex | PA USA | 06/25/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Um, I so wish my mother never said "if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all".....that would totally negate the reviewing process, would it not?If you've read some of my other reviews, you know I am a big fan of Angelina Jolie. I'm working on a complete collection of her films and therefore, I bought this one.I don't exactly regret buying it - I mean, I really want to own all her films, the only problem is, this movie is terrible. I will likely never watch it again. Or if I do, it will be in twenty years or so and only for a laugh as Angelina accepts her third Academy Award....from such humble beginnings....I hope the best for her.Back to the film - there are many problems. The main problem being, it's very boring. The next problem, which actually leads to the first problem, is that the editing is pretty much non-existant. There are useless scenes peppered throughout. And any scenes that might be useful, they run long and have extraneous minutes. There is literally no character development or growth. I doubt very much that there was anything on the editing room floor. From poor scripts are poor movies made.The film is based on a true story, a murder, but it is horribly told with the police being portrayed as complete idiots. And now to the reason I made this purchase - Angelina Jolie. Unfortunately, Angelina Jolie isn't in a whole lot of this movie, which is not a surprise. She has a minor part as a girlfriend of a suspect in the murder. Her first appearance is about half way into the film - but believe me, it feels like longer. She plays it tough, but you can see that she's not exactly cut her acting chops yet.The entire film sort of comes off as an acting school project. There's a whole bunch of emoting and HUGE sections of the story that just don't make sense. And that's not because it's a murder mystery, it's because of poor storytelling.In most circumstances, stories based on real events have a certain interesting quality, but not this film. If you want real-life drama, starring Angelina Jolie, pick up a copy of "Gia" - you will be stunned by her performance. She is outstanding in that breakthrough role. The premise of this DVD is that this is a true story and if you can help solve the mystery, there's even a big reward in it for the the viewer if you come up with evidence, etc. Do you think with a catch like that, this movie is worth watching? I hope you answered no. This one is for the Angelina Jolie Completist ONLY.Best Regards, turtlex"

A must for Angelina fans

turtlex | 07/11/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, I'm being generous with my rating, but only because I loved Angelina's performance in this movie. It is a very low budget, low quality film, but she in mesmerizing. I only recommend that major fans of Angelina like me get this, though, or else you'll be dissapointed. Overall the movie isn't very good, but Angelina's performance is definently worth watching. I'm glad I bought this tape!!!"

A JOLIE GOOD TIME

Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 12/03/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"WITHOUT EVIDENCE is a frustrating movie to watch, because you know how it ends, and it's not really a happy ending. Based on the true story of Michael Francke, an Oregon Director of Corrections who was brutally murdered. His brother, Kevin, is certain a conspiracy is involved, but the police and the district attorney have nothing to do with his theory. A coverup is intimated, as key witnesses admit they lied. Along the way Kevin gets involved with a young woman who killed a drug dealer--she says he is the one that killed Francke. However, a druggie named Frank Gable is framed and convicted. The movie even has a disclaimer that offers a reward for any information involving the murder.
The movie snail paced, and at times loses its impact by trying to be too conversational. However, in the film are some very good performances. Scott Plank as Kevin is sincere and riveting in his portrayal of the brother wanting justice for his slain kin; Anna Gunn is very believable as Liz, the young woman Kevin falls for; Andrew Prine does a fine job as a t.v. reporter who helps Kevin find the truth; Paul Perri gives a good performance as Unsold, the police chief who wants Kevin to disappear; and Angelina Jole in one of her first roles portrays Jody, the drug addict teen who knows the truth but is silenced. Jolie shows her potential in a role that doesn't have a lot of screen time, but when she's on screen, you are mesmerized with her credible performance.
Some tighter direction and a shortened script may have helped make this low budget film a little better, but as it is, it's a reputable true crime drama."

Without Merit

Gary C. Marfin | Sugar Land, Texas USA | 06/03/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, I admit it: I have a weakness for Angelina Jolie. I would watch her paint woodwork, do crosswords, order pizza, etc. But this film, whatever it may have started out to be, should never have escaped the studio. Angelina Jolie plays a screaming drug addict, during all of the 4 minutes that she's in the movie. At one point, being driven in a car against her will, she screams that she wants out, and bangs the window of the passenger side for effect. Trust me: this scene was not in the script. She was screaming to get out of this picture."