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Plot

The strong anti-China beliefs of actor and political activist Richard Gere were evident in this Hitchcockian thriller that sought to expose the civil and human rights abuses of that country's legal system. Gere stars as Jack Moore, counsel to a large media conglomerate seeking to open trade relations with China, thereby delivering American television shows by satellite to the largest untapped market in the world. After an evening out at a nightclub and fashion show, Jack goes home with a beautiful model (Jessey Meng), then wakes up the next morning to discover her dead body. To his horror, Jack is accused of murdering the girl, who is revealed to have been the daughter of a high-ranking general. Assigned a court-appointed lawyer, Shen Yuelin (Bai Ling), Jack discovers that the repressive Chinese court system does not grant bail, encourages quick guilty pleas and executions, and looks upon him with disfavor for his Western moral turpitude. Finally persuading Shen that he's innocent, Jack and his lawyer embark on an investigation impeded at every turn by Chinese authorities, eventually uncovering a plot to discredit Jack and his company's entry into China.
MPAA Rating:
R for some violence and a scene of sexuality.
Genre(s):
Drama
Run Time:
122min.
Theatrical Release Date:
10/31/1997
DVD Release Date:
04/29/1998
Distributor(s):
MGM/UA
Director(s):
Jon Avnet
Starring:
Richard Gere , Bai Ling , Bradley Whitford , Byron Mann , Peter Donat
Themes:
Wrongly Committed,Culture Clash,Political Corruption,Murder Investigations,Americans Abroad,Totalitarian States
Tone:
Claustrophobic,Earnest,Forceful,Grim,Slick,Talky
Keywords:
American [nationality],China,General,false-accusation,frame-up,lawyer,murder
Language:
English