rating : * * * 1/2 out of * * * * - 8 . 0 out of 10 . 0 cast : mel gibson ( jerry fletcher ) , julia roberts ( alice sutton ) , patrick stewart ( dr . jonas ) , cylk cozart ( agent lowry ) director : richard donner certification : r ( usa ) presumably for violence , language , and intense situations year of production : 1997 i was fortunate enough to attend an advance screening for the upcoming thriller conspiracy theory . this was , of course , a big deal for me because reviewing movies is basically just a hobby for me and i never get a chance at something like this . not only did i get to see an advance screening , i was able to see an advance screening of a * very good * movie . the very fast-paced film stars mel gibson as jerry fletcher , a fast-talking , witty , comical taxi driver in new york city . gibson's performance is terrific , and his character is similar to that of martin riggs in the lethal weapon films . gibson again teams up with richard donner , as he did in the lethal weapon films and maverick , and this time around , the combination works even better . the character of jerry fletcher is indeed unique . try to imagine a toned-downed version of travis bickle who , this time around , is a jittery guy with knowledge of government conspiracy cover-ups . if you can imagine that , then you've basically got jerry fletcher . in many ways , i was surprised by this movie . to begin with , i was surprised at how good it was . don't get me wrong , it's not going to be accepting any gold trophies next spring , but it was a very enjoyable movie . secondly , i was surprised at mel gibson's performance . he provided a fantastic performance . the previews of this film led me to believe it was an all-out action flick , which after viewing , it was almost the opposite in a certain sense . gibson's character has an almost uncountable number of one-liners , hilarious situations , and his character is one that the audience tends to side with throughout the film . for instance , jerry's apartment ( and especially his security ) is memorable . and last , i was surprised at how good the plot is . writer brian helgeland has created a terrific story , and when watching this film , you are left to wonder if all of jerry fletcher's far-fetched ( or so they seem at first ) conspiracy theories are helgeland's own opinions . mel gibson isn't the only stand-out in the film . julia roberts is very good in her performance as alice sutton , the department of justice employee who can't seem to stay away from jerry fletcher , who continually visits alice in hopes that she will do something about his theories . he also seems obsessed and in love with her . but whenever he approaches her with another one of his theories , she shrugs him and his beliefs off , continually noting that one day she is going to slap a restraining order on him . jerry , obviously determined to continually seek out the truth , continues to research information for his next conspiracy theory , which will be printed in his newsletter ( same title as the movie ) . although he only has five subscribers , he puts a large amount of time and effort into his work , and publishes his next edition . very soon after he does so , he is abducted and tortured by a sinister man who refers to himself as dr . jonas ( patrick stewart ) . after barely escaping alive , jerry is forced to turn to the only person he can trust : alice sutton . the remainder of the film is almost always fast-paced and full of action and suspense , with jerry's life being constantly put into jeopardy . and more along the way , the audience ( and alice ) learn more and more about jerry's life . many things are explained throughout this film , both to the characters and to the audience . for instance , the meaning of the book " the catcher in the rye " and its ties to assassins , the reason lone gunmen have three names ( e . g . lee harvey oswald and james earl ray ) , and the real truth behind the grateful dead . make sure listen closely throughout the film , as jerry is constantly throwing out interesting tidbits such as the above . definitely , when conspiracy theory hits theaters august 8th , make sure you are standing in line to see it . i am nearly positive everyone should enjoy this film , especially if you are into an action-thriller with witty dialogue and numerous suspenseful situations . and even if you aren't , you should still like this film . <hr> * david landers - <a href= " mailto : dml@gwis . com " >dml@gwis . com</a> - <a href= " http : //www . gwis . com/~dml/ " >http : //www . gwis . com/~dml/</a> * <hr> 
