CNS Movie Review: Find Me Guilty

Find Me Guilty

By Harry Forbes
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Fans of "The Sopranos" will find themselves in familiar territory with the fact-based courtroom drama about one of the longest criminal trials in U.S. history. (It lasted 21 months in 1987-88.)

"Find Me Guilty" (Yari) details how New Jersey's Lucchese family mobster Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio (Vin Diesel in a credible change of pace from action films) -- already serving a 30-year sentence -- chooses to defend himself in court, when he and 20 gang members are brought up on 76 charges of numbers running, gambling, cocaine distribution and the like. (Each of the defendants actually had his own attorney.)

Throughout it all, womanizing drug dealer Jackie is faithful to the "family," even forgiving his doped-up cousin Tony (Raul Esparza) for bursting into his bedroom one morning and plugging him with bullets while he lay in bed. Jackie refuses to report him to the police, and stubbornly contends he still dearly loves Tony.

During Jackie's courtroom antics, it's clear the other family members don't share his loyalty -- as evidenced by a telling scene where he asks permission to lunch with his cronies -- only to find himself frozen out of each table, and asked to leave by mob boss Nick Calabrese (Alex Rocco). Jackie is hurt, but remains unswervingly steadfast.

Jackie's testimony provides predictable disruption and comic relief over Judge Finestein's (a fine Ron Silver) courtroom, but also, rather surprisingly, scores significant points against dogged federal prosecutor Sean Kierney, and the prosecution's witnesses. Kierney, by the way, is played by British actor Linus Roache, miles apart from the "Priest" role that brought him to prominence in 1994. He plays Kierney as a hot-tempered, foul-mouthed hysteric out for the mob's blood.

Annabella Sciorra as Jackie's embittered ex-wife, Bella, has one juicy scene where she visits him in prison: concern turns to scorn before giving way to a mutually needful sexual encounter, cut short by the prison guards. And when Tony takes the stand to testify about shooting cousin Jackie, Esparza -- a versatile New York musical and dramatic stage actor -- almost steals the film with his crazed antics on the witness stand.

Veteran director Sidney Lumet -- no stranger to courtroom dramas (the 1957 classic "12 Angry Men" and 1982's "The Verdict," to name two) -- has lost none of his touch at the age of 80.

Supporting performances, by the diminutive Peter Dinklage as lead defense attorney Ben Klandis and the others mentioned, are solid. As for Diesel, he's entertaining, but doesn't offer enough dramatic variety to sustain a film that is more than two hours long. Diesel loses points for the scene in which Finestein breaks the news of Jackie's mother's death, and Diesel covers his face and turns away from the camera.

But, the historical record of the marathon trial aside (and indeed the real trial transcripts form the basis for the courtroom dialogue in the film), it's difficult to care about the travails of this lowlife wise guy. And it seems we're meant to feel sympathy for him more than for Kierney with his hellbent prosecution tactics. Under any other circumstances, Jackie's unswerving constancy would be admirable -- he refuses to rat on his buddies even in exchange for a reduced prison sentence -- but with these crime figures, who cares?

At least in "The Sopranos" or "The Godfather," there's character development, as in the most textured dramas dealing with unsavory anti-heroes (think Shakespeare's "Richard III").

By contrast, Jackie and his fellow goons are one-dimensional. The seamy story and milieu and nonstop expletives further undermine a well-made, but morally ambiguous film.

The film contains nonstop rough language and crude expressions, instances of profanity, ethnic slurs, some violence including a shooting, a steamy sexual encounter, sexual banter and innuendo, and drug use. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

END

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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