Typically I don't find courtroom and law-related movies that interesting. A lot of the time they're just kind of filled with some really technical legal jargon and rely too heavily on story progression rather than focusing on the characters themselves. It's hard to get attached. Luckily, Puncture is a very welcome exception.
Let's be honest, the reason to watch this is for Chris Evans. Landing somewhere in the group of ridiculously handsome guys that are actually pretty solid actors (in the same pool as Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper), Evans has an undeniable charm to him that penetrates every performance of his. His depiction of Mike Weiss (real-life lawyer and drug addict) is perfect; he's very charming, yet also deeply flawed, and it makes for some great solitary moments. We see most of the movie from his perspective and though it's not easy to make druggies likeable in movies, Evans pulls it off, no problem.
The rest of the cast is good too, especially Mark Kassen (also co-director) who plays Mike's partner Paul Danziger. Brett Cullen is good and deliciously evil as the rival lawyer. I don't think he ever plays a sympathetic character. But the movie really works because the actors are great and the plot is actually really compelling. I never thought that a plot about safety syringes could be so interesting, but it's shot in a way that's very personal and quickly gets you on Evans's side, and once you're there, you're rooting for him the rest of the time.
The biggest flaw with the movie, typical of most films based on a true story, is the ending. It's not a bad ending; in fact, it's pretty well-done considering the true story they had to work with, but for a movie, it does seem a bit anti-climactic. And had it not been for the final minute of the film, it would have been a pretty big downer ending. Overall though, it's an interesting and very compelling watch, and certainly a great vehicle for Chris Evans.
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