Double Jeopardy (1999)

Directed by: Bruce Beresford | 105 minutes | drama, crime, thriller | Actors: Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Greenwood, Annabeth Gish, Bruce Campbell, Jay Brazeau, John Maclaren, Ed Evanko, Brennan Elliott, Angela Schneider, Michael Gaston

The term “double jeopardy” refers to a section of the law that states that you cannot be convicted twice for the same crime. Can you feel him already?

Enough leads for an interesting thriller and with the cast of ‘Double Jeopardy’ the film could have been. Unfortunately, we are constantly treated to unbelievable twists and turns, battling with the good feeling we have about Libby, played by a fun-loving Ashley Judd.

If she didn’t do those weird things you would soon give this film a pass. But our good Libby and her protector, alcoholic probation officer Travis Lehman (Tommy Lee Jones) are making such mockery of the American justice system that even George Bush’s lawyer wouldn’t be able to get them out of jail. Watch out: Libby, convicted of murder, is released on parole, ignores her curfew, commits a burglary and is arrested, of course, by the same village cop who brought her in after the capital crime. Back in the cell? No, it is not. And her probation officer likes her so much that he condones this. In fact, even when she drives him and herself off a ferry to flee, he saves her from drowning. Well, then I can run off too, Libby thinks. Bye Bye. Stopped by mom and dad and no rooster crowing at our fallen wife. Except for Travis Lehman, who isn’t bothered by the fact that he’s just a simple probation officer and investigates independently; no trace of the police; that scares the crooks.

Although we have to put the whip over it afterwards, the film also has its good sides; between moaning and groaning, you keep wondering why Libby’s fate continues to preoccupy you. That’s due to Ashley Judd, but she can’t carry the film on her own. Her magnum opus ‘Kiss the Girls’ also revolves around a good Morgan Freeman and ‘Double Jeopardy’ lacks such a male lead. Tommy Lee Jones cannot fill that role. Travis Lehman is not immediately a father figure and the relationship between the two ex-convicts is not worked out.

Moreover, the legal concept of ‘double jeopardy’ does not appear to exist at all in the form in which it is applied here. Of course, our friend cannot take revenge on the man she would have killed earlier, but turns out to be alive. You can’t even do that in America. A little more careful next time.