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Find Me Guilty
Sidney Lumet, who¡¯s
helmed such greats as ¡°The Verdict,¡± ¡°Dog Day Afternoon¡± and ¡°Network,¡±
proves he still has it at 82 with this mob-courtroom drama based on true
events (the film boasts dialogue distilled from actual transcripts). Most
court bound films are a dry affair, but Lumet who engineered ¡°12 Angry Men¡±
(1957) knows how to pull the pulp from the pedantic. The trial¡ªthat of the
Lucchese family¡ªis notable because it lumped together over 20 defendants on
76 RICO charges and took nearly 700 days to prosecute (the longest in US
history). At the epicenter is
Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel), who because past council has done
nothing but land him in jail, decides to defend himself. The move¡¯s wildly
unpopular with the ¡°family¡± and the judge (a compassionate Ron Silver) as
Jackie takes over the courtroom with his ¡°I¡¯m no gangster¡I¡¯m a gagster¡±
antics. Entertaining and moving, Diesel shows some surprising acting chops
and Peter Dinklage (Station Agent) throws in as the lead council for the rest
of the Lucchese clan.
- TBM
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