daisybooc The cast list in uncanny in this film. It would be an alright murder/mystery/court drama if the majority of people following the actual case didn't know most of the facts by now. It's a very very complex case, I've watched and read everything there is available, and I'm almost certain in my mind I know who the real killer is. It's a tragic, awful story, It does contain some upsetting scenes from the offset but again, if familiar with the case you'd have seen the real photos and film footage. Worth a watch, but misses a billion things out that are needed to understand it. Reece Witherspoon was fantastic as Pam Hobbs,

eddie_baggins It was always going to be a tricky proposition for whoever decided to take on the horrific true life story of the West Memphis 3 and the murders of 3 young boys in 1993, a case that has been documented in fascinating fashion in such documentaries as the haunting Paradise Lost and more recently West of Memphis. These documents of the murders and subsequent trial of Damian Echols and his supposed cronies were such in depth looks into the case and they were just some of many elements of the lore surrounding the event which includes books, investigations and countless other looks about who may have been the murderer and motivation etc. So being a tricky task already to make a meaningful movie of this story, it doesn't help that Atom Egoyan's Devil's Knot is such a heartless and sombre affair.Atom Egoyan has in the past shown himself to be a director of quite some talent yet whatever past glories he may've had behind camera in his previous films, there is none such evidence of skill here. While there is no doubting Devil's Knot gets off to a fine start, things quickly disappear into a murky rabbit hole of a movie that doesn't know where to focus or who to focus on. Egoyan directs in such a way that shows a bewildering lack of effort or thought and the film plods from scene to scene in such a manner that you'd be hard pressed to remember what happened mere minutes ago. The stories aforementioned intrigue as well is shamefully lost here as revelations come and go and potentially emotional jumping off points never eventuate, along with a cast that never sparks.In what must of looked like Oscar bait to them, previous Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and the in need of a hit Colin Firth deliver insipid turns as grieving mother Pam Hobbs and investigator Ron Lax respectively. Witherspoon gained some noticeable weight for her particular role but that's about the only gravitas she brings to the table here while Firth meanders about with no particular creativity which is a shame as these characters as shown in the stand out documentaries are larger than life. We never feel Pam's grief or Ron's fierce determination for truth and while the child actors playing the accused teenagers lead by James Hamrick's Echols look the part, they barely get a moment to do anything in the unfocused narrative. Dane DeHaan as potential suspect Chris Morgan is the stand out performer here which is sad considering his short screen time.Uninvolving and just generally misguided, Devil's Knot is by no means a necessary or quality entry into this sad true life story's film canon. You get the feeling that down the line a much better and more heartfelt approach to these people's tale will be told but in the meantime all we have is Egoyan's forgettable film and some worryingly lame performances from two A-list actors. For what is a shocking and intriguing story, Devil's Knot is barely even mildly interesting.1 and a half misplaced blood sample out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check into - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

SnoopyStyle This is based on the real story of the murder three boys in 1993 West Memphis, Arkansas. Pam (Reese Witherspoon) and Terry Hobbs (Alessandro Nivola) lose her son Stevie. Along with Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore, the boys are brutally murdered in a local wooded area called Devil's Knot. Jessie Misskelley confesses. Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin are implicated. All three teens are charged for the boy's murder with the police claiming a demonic ritual. Ron Lax (Colin Firth) is a private investigator who becomes obsessed and volunteers to help the defense.I understand the resistance to this movie but director Atom Egoyan faces some difficulties due to the real story. Most people would say that the real killer has never been found. While people who still claim that the 3 teens killed the boys would find this movie, like the documentaries, very bias. Atom could have faked a killer like Oliver Stone's JFK with the black man in Bojangles or Terry Hobbs. What he gives in this movie is doubt. The person that personifies this is Reese Witherspoon with her amazing performance. First, Atom is able to nail the overwhelming sadness like he did in 'The Sweet Hereafter'. I'm also impressed that Atom didn't go out of his way to demonize the police. The scene with Detective Bryn Ridge getting Pam Hobbs' hair is so powerful and shows the pressure of the job. It is easy for arm-chair jury members watching the docs to ridicule the real-life jury and hate the cops. What this movie shows is how reasonable people could be so wrong and how easy things like this could happen with some poor police work.

leonblackwood Review: It's really frustrating when you watch a movie and you don't know what really happened. Especially when it's a true story and the ending is explained by captions. Anyway, I thought this was an intense court room drama about the death of 3 young boys during the 90s in Memphis. The storyline shows you how the case against 2 teenagers, who were accused of the murder, took place, but there were so many holes in the evidence. The movie did seem to move at a slow pace, but you can't help feeling emotional whilst watching what took place in the woods. The judge must have been a complete idiot, not to realise that there was something wrong with the case and that the missing evidence wasn't a bit strange. Personally I think that the police and the judge, just wanted the case closed because of the pressure from the media and the residents in that town, but I'm not familiar with the case so I don't know how much in the movie is really true. Anyway, the performances were great, even though Colin Firth seemed to be drifting from scene to scene, and the storyline was well put together by the director. Watchable!Round-Up: Why are these type of movies always based in the deep south and full of lies and corruption? Anyway, I had to put on my detective hat during this movie so I could piece all of the evidence together and come up with my own verdict, but I failed miserably. There are so many holes in everyone's story, which makes it hard to piece all of the evidence together. For entertainment, you can't help getting into the dramatic court scenes and you end up sticking with the movie, just to see the outcome, but you don't get to know the depth of the characters so you end up concentrating on the verdict, more than feeling for the families. On the down side, I do feel a bit cheated because of the ending, but my heart does go out to the real families who don't know what really happened.Budget: $15million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into there emotional court dramas about the death of three young kids in Memphis during the 90's. 5/10