Conviction (2010)

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Conviction is an American 2010 legal drama film based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, a single mother trying to free her wrongfully convicted brother, Kenny indefatigably. The film is directed by Tony Goldwyn and stars Hilary Swank as Betty Anne Waters, Sam Rockwell as Kenny Waters, Minnie Driver as Abra Rice and Melissa Leo as Nancy Taylor. Kenny is screwed by the justice system in a brutal murder case and his sister, Betty works tirelessly to free him. She pushes herself through law school to become a lawyer and handle the case herself.

The film is driven by the two major performances given by Swank and Rockwell along with a compelling story. Hilary Swank portrays the character with sleek humanness and makes you ascertain the hardships, struggle and labours of a person battling against a flawed system. Her character attends law school, works in a bar and ministers her two sons while her family life suffers and the marriage falls apart but her devotion and allegiance to her brother remains mettlesome. Rockwell portrays a person who is hackneyed over the false hope of his freedom over the course of 18 years of a malfeasant sentence. He shows the frustration and dejection of such a person intelligibly. Driver and Leo supply the crucial support to the story candidly.

The direction of the movie is smooth with a well written script by Pamela Gray. The sequence of scenes along with the flashbacks are placed befittingly. The cinematography by Adriano Goldman is eyeful.

Overall, the movie is a must watch for legal drama lovers and fans of Swank and Rockwell. It has a heartwarming and beautiful true story with undying and eternal brother-sister love at its heart. The marrow of the movie is its ending scene which satiates your heart with ardor.