The Rainmaker

Francis Ford Coppola's riveting courtroom drama is an exceptionally well-crafted adaptation of John Grisham's novel. Matt Damon is excellent as the inexperienced Memphis lawyer thrown into the lion's den when he takes on the case of a young man dying of leukaemia, whose insurance company refuses to honour his claim. There's also a marvellous supporting cast, including Jon Voight as the slimiest lawyer imaginable and Claire Danes as a battered wife sheltered by Damon. Grisham's scenarios often feel contrived and mechanical, but not this time. Forgoing the genre's usual serpentine plotting in favour of emotional depth and well-rounded characters, this is courtroom cinema at its very best.