Law Abiding Citizen

I have a friend who is a BIG fan of Gerard Butler, so naturally, I have to see every movie he plays in so I can discuss the particulars with her. His latest movie, Law Abiding Citizen, has just been published on DVD and is a 3-Day check-out movie at the library. The basic premise of the movie is that Gerard Butler plays the role of Clyde Shelton, an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter were brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (played by Jamie Foxx) is the up-and-coming Philadelphia prosecutor assigned to the case. Nick is forced to offer one of the suspects a lighter sentence in exchange for his testifying against his accomplice. Ten years later the killer who received the lighter sentence is found dead, and Clyde admits his guilt. Clyde then issues a warning to Nick that he needs to fix the flawed justice system or else other key players in the trial will die. Shelton soon follows through on his threats, orchestrating a string of murders from his jail cell. The movie is very intense, action-packed and full of surprises. Clyde is an ingenious killer and Jamie Foxx plays a great "good guy." It is refreshing to see Gerard Butler play the crafty criminal, and the special effects are wonderful. I think this movie would be great for any fan of taught, suspense-filled thrillers.

Women as Criminals?

When I was shelving our new non-fiction books recently, a title caught my eye. The book’s cover was bright yellow and very attractive, but what really intrigued me was the title, Dangerous Women: Why Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters become Molesters and Murderers by Larry A. Morris. I immediately thought about the fact that more serial killers are men rather than women, and that Dr. Morris must have really researched his topic to discover what makes women “become dangerous.” The premise of the book is that (this is from the book jacket) “criminologists have noted a disturbing trend in the last few decades - although men are still most often the perpetrators of murder, violent assault, and child molestation, more and more girls and women are becoming dangerous criminals, filling courtrooms and jails.” Dr. Morris is a forensic psychologist and he uses thirty years of personal clinical experience with perpetrators and victims of interpersonal violence to reveal why girls and women have begun to choose violence as a way to solve their problems. This is a very sobering book, but it gives a great insight into the minds of “female killers” and gives the reader a lot of information to think about. A plus—the book also gives some practical tips on how to recognize and stop this behavior in the women you know! For other stories about psychological crimes, try Twisted Triangle: A Famous Crime Writer, a Lesbian Love Affair, and the FBI Husband's Violent Revenge by Caitlin Rother with John Hess, or The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall.