Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Strong in plot and performance but not as timeless as I’d expected.

The timing feels less than snappy, drawing out pauses where there doesn’t need any. James Stewart is always an exceptional leading man, driving the twist and turns with confidence and ease.

Set in upstate Michigan, a small town attorney takes a notorious case of a soldier charged with killing the man that raped his wife. The politics of the case are disturbing and haven’t aged well. The performances are note worthy - but the case at the center of the film collapses under the gaze of current times.