Enemy of the State **** (1998, Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Regina King, Tom Sizemore, Gabriel Byrne, Ian Hart, Jake Busey, Scott Caan, Jason Lee) – Classic Movie Review 751

Will Smith and Gene Hackman are ideally cast and give outstanding star performances in director Tony Scott’s 1998 pounding, edge-of-seat conspiracy thriller that really is the business.

Smith stars as lawyer Robert Dean, who finds he’s in mortal danger from renegade government agents after he takes possession of a computer disk containing evidence of a political assassination recorded on film by a birdwatcher’s camera.

Dean’s bank accounts are closed, he is fired from his job and his wife is told lies about him having affairs. His only hope of survival is a mysterious former government agent known as Brill (Hackman).

Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Regina King, Tom Sizemore, Gabriel Byrne, Ian Hart, Jake Busey, Scott Caan and Jason Lee are in the exceptional cast.

There’s excellent work by writer David Marconi, cinematographer Dan Mindel and composer Trevor Rabin. Scott directs like a man on fire.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 751 derekwinnert.com