Reboots or reshoots are complex. A good example is the case of Presumed Innocent, despite the 37 years that separate the original, the element of surprise at the time of release can quickly be eliminated with just an online search, whereas in 1987, it was a shock. Certainly, the producers, David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrahams are betting on the lack of information to reach a new audience. From the first two episodes, they seem to be heading in the right direction.

One of the great secrets of this new version of the story, which was a best-seller and a successful film in the early 1990s, is the pace, the narrative that mixes flashbacks well with present-day drama, and – without a doubt – the cast by an excellent lead in Jake Gyllenhaal. There is chemistry, there is complexity and the drama engages us, even like me, who already knows who and how killed Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). I’m not going to give spoilers here because I already did in the previous post.

Let’s consider that you haven’t read the book, haven’t seen the film, and don’t know the story. Following the book by Scott Turow, Rusty Sabich (Gyllenhaal) is a prosecutor accused of killing the colleague with whom he had an affair and NOBODY suspected. Although he tells us all the time that he is innocent, all the evidence points to his guilt with almost no room for doubt. Rusty was obsessed with Carolyn, the relationship ended badly and she was pregnant (by him). Although he lives with a hurt wife, Barbara (Ruth Negga) supports him unconditionally.

To make matters worse, at work, Rusty deals with political (and jealous) persecution from dangerous adversaries who want to destroy his career and life. That’s basically what the first two episodes show, the twists are on the way.

Some critics, apparently attached to the 1990 film that starred Harrison Ford as Rusty, are somewhat irritated by the “adaptations” of the Apple TV Plus series, but there is the advantage that with more hours (there are eight episodes), they won’t have to summarize or accelerate nothing like the original. They prefer what they call Ford’s minimalist performance compared to his current one, but it’s nonsense. What we’re seeing with Gyllenhaal makes more sense.

In the 1990s, there was the retrograde narrative of having Carolyn as a wanton who almost deserved to die in contrast to Barbara’s sensitivity, the series now exposes us to greater layers where there is not exactly virtue versus promiscuity. Furthermore, the original focused more on the traditional judgment formula, but here domestic life has greater prominence. The point is really to confuse the public about presuming innocence before guilt is proven beyond suspicion and like others, my suspicion is that they will change the original ending precisely because those who know the story may still be surprised. It will be?

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