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Title: What were they thinking?
Review: Death penalty opponent David Gale (Kevin Spacey), himself imprisoned on Death Row for the murder of a fellow activist (Laura Linney), tells his story to a newspaper reporter (Kate Winslet) supposedly so that she can clear his name. This well-made film with its excellent cast starts out well but soon becomes implausible and silly. It may appear to be anti-death penalty propaganda, but the illogical surprise resolution of the story reveals it to be completely ambivalent. While masquerading as a serious film, it is actually an overwritten mystery with a dunderhead plot that portrays those on both sides of the issues as fools or worse--gun-toting good ol' boys on one side and dishonest crazies on the other. If it doesn't offend you regarding your position on the death penalty, it should offend you as a lover of good movies.
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