I did not realize how conservative I was until I saw this movie. The actors did a great job playing each character but I was left to wonder how disturbing it actually was once I sat through it. Just glad it is over and it was not for me.

I enjoyed all the dirty little secrets and flawed characters that drive the plot of this seedy Florida swamp thriller. The story is simple. Two investigative reporters form Miami go to a small town near a swamp to investigate the sentencing of a man who may have been unjustly accused of murder. The cast of this film is first rate and they all play their challenging roles very well. Unfortunately, the whole of this film isn?t as good as some of the character development that it carries off so well. Efron and Kidman?s characters, for example, are well developed and solidly performed. I would recommend this movie to people who like soaps and daytime drama series; it?s also good for fans of the performers because most of them do a good job. However, there are too many complex issues that come into the story without developing into anything that it?s frustrating at times.

Worst movie of 2012. Lee Daniels can't direct actors and has no sense of pace or style. Nicole Kidman should take a vacation for embarrassment, Matthew McConaughey destroys all the good will he has been building up, as well as potential Oscar buzz for supporting actor, and Zac Efron needs to either get a new agent or start paying attention to his career choices. The only person to escape this nonsense relatively unscathed is John Cusack. My friend and I were both slack-jawed at how terrible this movie is. Waste of time and money. Miss it with someone you love.

I really don't understand why this movie got so many bad reviews. I thought it was a really good flick. The story line was excellent, the climax was good as well as the acting. I think it's the first time I saw a movie that features Zac Efron. He's definitely a great actor. Nice performance by Macy Gray as well and Nicole Kidman was terrific. I recommend this movie but it's not for kids or sensitive people. There are some violent and sexually-explicit scenes. Great movie all around.