Worst: Firewall (2006)
If you’ve seen more than one Harrison Ford thriller, you’ll know what to expect here. Ford plays another stout-hearted family man who finds himself manipulated by a villainous figure via the newfangled medium of computers.
With his face set resolutely to “grimace”, Harrison phones this one in with all the enthusiasm of a bus conductor, whilst Paul Bettany fares little better as an identikit British villain. Utterly ho-hum, and indicative of a distinctly fallow period in Ford’s career.
Best: Presumed Innocent (1990)
Ford is at his bewildered best as the seemingly decent man who finds himself in the frame for his lover’s murder. An otherwise upstanding family man, Ford’s marital guilt is played off nicely against his assumed innocence in the case, whilst Brian Dennehy has a ball as his slippery boss.
Bonny Bedelia and a flamboyant Raul Julia add to the strong supporting cast, while the twisty-turny plot will keep viewers guessing to the final reel. All in all, an excellent hybrid of talky courtroom drama and pulpy whodunit, delivered with panache.
