Murder of Crows, A (1999, USA) C-102m. *** D: Rowdy Herrington. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Berenger, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Eric Stoltz, Mark Pellegrino, Ashley Laurence, Carmen Argenziano, Renée Estevez. Well-plotted thriller with a serpentine story: Righteous lawyer Gooding Jr. loses his job and licence when he refuses to defend guilty but wealthy Stoltz. A few months later in Florida he meets an old loner, who has written a novel and asks him to read the manuscript. Before Gooding Jr. can give it back to the man, he learns of his death. Despite some moral pangs he decides to publish it under his own name. And it's a success. Some more surprises in this sleeper will keep you on the edge of your seat, although it's also a little contrived, a bit unlikely. No world-beater but well-done, kudos to writer/director Herrington. Released directly to video.