Claire Kubick (Ashley Judd) is a high-powered San Francisco attorney, about to make partner. She and her husband Tom (James Caviezel), a contractor, live in a beautiful hillside house in Marin County California, are wild about each other and are enjoying their efforts to become pregnant.

A break-in at their home leaves a window shattered and begins to shatter other illusions as well. Routine police investigation of the crime turns up evidence that gets the FBI involved and soon a cadre of armed agents take them down, literally, on the streets of downtown San Francisco. Tom is arrested and Claire is outraged. The charge asserts that as part of a special operations unit, tracking a terrorist leader, this man entered a village in El Salvador 15 years ago and murdered nine villagers, including women and children, his name¾Ronald Chapman.

A disbelieving Claire insists there is a mistake but Tom admits he is Ron Chapman and was part of the operation, the rest is a lie he assures her. He is being framed because he wouldn't go along with the cover up. Claire takes on her husband's defense. She rents a small house in the military town where she and nothing of hers seems to fit¾not even her Mercedes SUV in the garage.

Claire's knowledge and grit don't stand for much in a military court she soon discovers. She's out of her element and the scrub-faced Lieutenant Embry (Adam Scott) who is assigned to the case is inexperienced. They need someone with the skill and instinct to beat the military at its own game.

Enter the self-described "wild card," Charlie Grimes (Morgan Freeman), a former JAG officer, now a local lawyer with a client list of prostitutes and petty criminals. Charlie brings a bit of baggage with him, a drinking problem he's kept at bay for over a year. But he knows the military court system and is anxious to prove he's still got the smarts to stick it to them.

Claire knows about excess baggage. Her younger sister Jackie (Amanda Peet) is a charming screw-up, usually out of money and she shows up here out of a place to live as well.

There are a number of twists and some great action in this thriller. Ashley Judd handles herself very well physically; she's tossed about quite a bit in pursuit of the truth. Morgan Freeman brings unexpected humor and wit to his wonderful performance as a motor cycle riding attorney with a spark of fight left. These two actors are reunited in "High Crimes;" they starred together in the 1997 box-office hit "Kiss the Girls."

James Caviezel brings that familiar, sensitive gaze and vulnerability to this role as he did in "Pay It Forward," and "Frequency." Unfortunately, his performance in the recent "The Count of Monte Cristo" was just that…unfortunate! Amanda Peet has a great face and an open personality that lights up the screen.

Director Carl Franklin's vision carries "High Crimes" beyond the usual woman-in-peril scenario, adding a layer of political intrigue. He describes the film as both a drama and a thriller, "We need the fear. The threat." Another film, currently in release, that features a strong woman-in-danger who pulls herself and her daughter out of harm's way is "Panic Room," starring Jodie Foster and Forest Whittaker.

The cinematic device used to depict what happened in El Salvador is the use of a grainy, sepia tone film; similar to the effect in the award winning film, "Traffic." It offers a gritty portrayal of the atrocities.

There are a couple of predictable sequences of events as the story comes to a close. Some things occur a little too conveniently but you will still enjoy this military/political "whodunit."

Carl Franklin, who is African-American, is no stranger to working with top-tier actors. His critically acclaimed debut film, "One False Move," featured Billy Bob Thornton. He later directed Denzel Washington in "Devil in a Blue Dress," an adaptation of the Walter Mosley novel, for which Franklin wrote the screenplay. "One True Thing" starred Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger and William Hurt. Franklin is a powerful and positive force behind the camera in Hollywood.

Morgan Freeman is a three-time Academy Award nominee. He won the Golden Globe Award and the Silver Bear Award (Berlin) for best actor in "Driving Miss Daisy." Freeman's newest starring role is in the film version of Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears," due out May 31.

In "High Crimes" clandestine operations, lies and cover-ups, all under the guise and protection of top-secret clearance required and national security, leave you questioning the efficacy of such procedures. This spring 60 to 70 democratic nations will meet to ratify the establishment of a World Court, where persons can be tried for war crimes. The United States, the great arbiter of democratic rule, will be conspicuously absent from that gathering. Are we not to be held to the same standard as the rest of humanity?

Ashley Judd: Someone Like You, Double Jeopardy	Morgan Freeman: Along Came a Spider, Under Suspension
James Caviezel: The Count of Monte Cristo, Pay It Forward	Amanda Peet: Changing Lanes, The Whole Nine Yards,
Adam Scott: Star Trek: First Encounter, Hellraiser IV,	Carl Franklin: One True Thing, Devil in a Blue Dress, One False Move.