In the halls of power, a minister has fallen from grace. Government agent Beckett recruits a deadly operative Richards with a dubious past to restore control via coercion. As the power play unfolds, Beckett must confront the consequences of his choices while Richards seeks to safeguard his own interests.
Based on true events. 18-year old Jesse Winters, also know as The Butcher, was put to death in Louisiana for committing 23 grisly murders. There was no doubt that he was killer, the question was why? His mother, Kate, claimed that Jesse was possessed by a demon that drove him to fiendish brutality. Now, for the first time on film, Kate will attempt to prove her theories and clear her son’s name by inviting a demon to invade her body.
Editor Eckernförde has come into the possession of an audiocassette that contains a recording of the last minutes of deceased politician Uwe Barschel. The circumstances of his untimely death have never been completely resolved - until now. Unfortunately, the editor's daughter Nina accidentally takes the tape with her to Munich, where she is about to visit her paralyzed Mom in a sanatorium. When this information reaches the CIA and the BND, both organizations compete to get hold of the tape. Meanwhile Erkan & Stefan, two loveable wannabe supercheckers from Munich, are assigned as bodyguards for Nina - of course, they are expected to mess up their job, so that the tape can be retrieved. But the two friends prove to be a bit more streetwise than CIA or BND ever expected.
芝加哥退休工人Mike Laszlo受法庭传讯，从联合国组织发来的报告证明他曾是纳粹党卫队的行刑队长，在匈牙利犯下令人发指的暴行。Mike Laszlo是匈牙利移民，40年前来到美国。他在妻子死后辛苦带大的女儿Ann Talbot现在是一名刑事诉讼律师，离婚后带着小儿子 跟他一起生活。他对女儿说他没犯下被指控的罪行，Ann决定为父亲辩护。她相信父亲的清白，但是在法庭上发生的一切改变了她的想法，她找到了那个存有证据的八音盒……
年轻的凯瑟琳（格温妮斯•帕特洛 饰）正经历着人生中考验，她既要工作，又要照顾体病重的老父亲罗伯特（安东尼•霍普金斯 饰）。罗伯特虽然是一名著名的数学家，但晚年得病的还是无法很好的照顾自己。
罗伯特还是逝世了，凯瑟琳伤心不已，她把自己封闭起来。而罗伯特的学生哈尔（杰克•吉伦哈尔 饰）打算寻找老师遗留下来的数学笔记，这事令凯瑟琳怒不遏止。姐姐克莱尔（霍普•戴维斯 饰）希望妹妹凯瑟琳能够卖掉父亲的房子，跟自己到纽约住。因为她觉得妹妹有可能遗传到了父亲的某些病状，想能及时照顾到妹妹。凯瑟琳根本不想离开，这时候她与哈尔之间的关系也变得复杂了。
哈尔拿着凯瑟琳所给的钥匙打开了罗伯特的抽屉，一份数学样稿出现在他眼前，高兴不已的他向提议把资料以罗伯特的名义出版，但编写的人是谁，令哈尔与克莱尔都大吃一惊。
故事发生在旧金山的郊区，这边厢，杰克（杰夫·布里吉斯 Jeff Bridges 饰）尚且沉浸在妻子佩吉（Maria Mayenzet 饰）去世的悲痛之中，那边厢，他就已经成为了警方重点怀疑的对象，因为佩吉出身于富有的家庭，而她的死亡意味着她那令人垂涎的巨额遗产将落入杰克的手中。
为了洗清身上的罪名，杰克雇佣了名叫泰迪（格伦·克洛斯 Glenn Close 饰）的女律师，在相处的过程中，杰克和泰迪之间的关系渐渐开始变得暧昧不明起来，在理智与情感之间，泰迪能否拨开迷雾看清事实？她身边的这个男人，又是否真的如同看上去的那样清白无辜呢？在接近真相的同时，危险也渐渐来到了她的身后。
初出茅庐的鲁迪·贝勒（马特·达蒙 Matt Damon饰）是刚踏进律师界的新手。一腔热血的鲁迪接手的第一个案子是一宗涉及医疗保险赔偿的诉讼。无助的母亲，生命垂危的儿子，拒绝支付医疗费的保险公司，不择手段的辩护律师，一切都跟当初设想的大相径庭。面对种种举步维艰的行业阴暗面和陷于困境的弱势群体，鲁迪至始至终都没有放弃他的正义之心。影片的另一条主线还有一位遭受家庭暴力的受虐少妇。影片用写实的手法，向我们描绘了一场捍卫正义的道德之战。本片根据约翰·格里沙姆的同名小说改编。