SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

An absolute waste of money

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Such a treat to see Colin Firth in this role; the last movie I watched that featured Firth in the legal profession was "The Advocate," which is an interesting film, and I couldn't help but think of his role (as attorney) in that film while watching this one. This movie is like a really satisfying episode of the x-files, but real-life; not sci-fi.

Devil's Knot is based on true events where in 1993, the bodies of three murdered boys were found by the river in Arkansas. In the midst of hysteria, the police suspected three teenagers who were into heavy metal music and satanic worship.Private investigator Ron Lax (Colin Firth) looks though the evidence as a legal team who represent the boys have to overcome a hostile town and a biased judge.Pam Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon) is the mother of one of the murdered boys but the way the case is conducted leaves her doubting the boys guilt.The film is based on a harrowing true life case of young boys being brutally killed. The film has a slant that the police did not properly investigate the case and the suspects never really had a chance of a fair trial. In a bible belt town these rebellious teenagers were seen as fair game.The film is anodyne and bland. The main suspects remain off screen a lot with a confusing narrative where there is lot of toing and froing of the timeline. It is really a court room drama where Lax is just a spectator, as he is not a lawyer.The film gives a hint of who could had been an alternate suspect. In reality it looks like there were several alternative suspects as this was an infamous case already covered in several books and documentaries.This was a complex case and the film could had followed alternative paths to tell their story. Despite good performances I feel both Firth and Witherspoon were wasted.

I had loosely heard of the West Memphis Three for years, but only now do I understand the full story. I'd say that Atom Egoyan is the proper director, since he specializes in grim topics (a school bus crash, the Armenian Genocide, etc). The preacher's claim that satanic music caused the defendants to commit the murders sounds like the typical stuff that we hear from religious nuts. As for the movie's focus on Stevie Branch's family as opposed to all three families, it was most likely because they cast Reese Witherspoon as the mother.The movie ends by noting what happened in the years after the trial ended. What's most intriguing is that the man who came into Bojangles's and was never seen again. What secrets do all the people in West Memphis hide? Whatever the case, this sounds like one horrifying event. "Devil's Knot" is not a great movie, but I recommend it. Also starring Colin Firth, Mireille Enos, Alessandro Nivola and Bruce Greenwood.

As other reviewers have already stated the documentaries are wonderfully done. They followed the complete history of this bizarre case and are well worth a watch. Besides the first three, Peter Jackson has also done one quite recently.Atom Egoyan films are always interesting - until now. I felt I was watching a made for TV film (before the days of our premium cable shows). This had an outstanding cast. In an effort for realism all of the big stars looked like us normal frumpy people with bad hairstyles - except for Colin Firth - he stands out like a (gorgeous) sore thumb. Couldn't understand why he was allowed to look like a movie star and for me it did effect the "everyday man, retro period" look I felt Mr. Egoyan was going for. The cast is all excellent but the editing, action and dialogue doesn't give them much to do.As previous reviewers pointed out, one problem lies in condensing this complex troubling story into a couple hours. Usually a short textual summary at end of film gives you info on what happens to main characters after film ends. This summary covers decades and doesn't do justice to the bulk of what happened. The story is so hard hitting because it took decades to resolve. Perhaps the director wanted to focus on the piece he did but it almost felt like - OK, here we are two hours - let's wrap it up and write up the rest. He is such a strong filmmaker that I am sure I missed the point of why he did this film the way he did of such a well documented case.And, finally the larger problem is simply that - this film is sluggish. It isn't just really really slow pacing. It drags. It trips. It feels like it really wants to lay down for a nap. Perhaps those who don't know the story were fascinated but for me the whole movie is dull, which is astonishing given its subject matter. For instance, so many times the camera pans to Reese Witherspoon and just hangs there on the same sad look she wears each time this happens. Or, she and Colin Firth exchange long meaningful glances over and over until far into the film. Little action, little interesting dialogue, not much cohesive dialogue at all. I felt all these terrific actors were given nothing to do. Even Colin Firth has a surprisingly small passive part in the film given his character's relevance to the story.Just cannot recommend this. Definitely see the documentaries instead and then re-watch The Sweet Hereafter!