Find Me Guilty (DVD)
The running time is 2 hrs. 5 mins..
Directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Vin Diesel Find Me Guilty is based on the story of Jackie DiNorscio (Diesel) and the trial he faces along with 19 other members of the New Jersey Lucchese family. DiNorscio is already in prison, serving a 30-year sentence, when this new trial begins, a trial in which the 20 defendants face 76 charges of various crimes. Each defendant has their own lawyer, but Jackie is not going that route, especially since his last over-priced lawyer landed him in jail for 30 years. No sir, Jackie is taking this one on by himself, much to the chagrin of his fellow 19 defendants and their representation.
A great premise, but the execution is a bit too blasé to be taken seriously. Find Me Guilty details the longest trial in American history (21 months) and yet the primary mode of entertainment is whether or not DiNorscio can make you laugh. This method may achieve some chuckles, and it does, but it also makes the more dramatic moments less dramatic. If you were to strip away the jokes you wouldn't be left with enough material for an episode of "Matlock".
On the flip side of that, Diesel is very well cast; he brings everything necessary to make his character believable and relatable. It is not Diesel's fault this film is not better, it is the script. DiNorscio is a bad guy. The 19 other defendants are bad guys. There is no denying this. Yet, in this movie, we are supposed to connect with the baddies and laugh at the prosecution as they try and figure a way around DiNorscio's grade school lawyering. At one moment we watch as the lead prosecutor Sean Kierney (Linus Roache) throws a tantrum after he learns one of the jury members referred to Jackie as cute. He fails to understand how he is losing a jury to a group of thugs and criminals. A worthy question indeed, but it is swept under the rug after the 30-second scene ends.
Oddly enough this film is based on a true story. At the beginning of the film it even tells us that much of what is said in court is actually from the court transcripts. So to take shots at the dialogue may be a bit off base, but then again I don't know what is real and what is embellished.
Director Sidney Lumet approached this film with a love for the character that was Jackie. He thought he was funny, he thought he was outrageous, he tells us this in the special feature conversation on the DVD. Therefore, he manages to paint the best picture of Jackie and his co-defendants he can all while letting you know what they are on trial for. We never see any wrongdoing by any of the 20 defendants. In fact the only person seen doing anything wrong is Jackie's cousin, a witness for the prosecution.
So what is the verdict? If you ever get in trouble with a group of friends for selling drugs, killing people and stealing just lawyer up everyone except for the funny guy and you should be able to beat the charges. Truly, that is what I take away from this film after you get tired of Jackie’s wise cracks. Not even Peter Dinklage who stars as Ben Klandis, the defense team's lead lawyer, can save the picture. Dinklage may be small in stature, but he always carries off big roles. Unfortunately, he is hardly given enough to do or powerful enough words to make his presence known.
As for the DVD, the special features are pretty much nil as it only comes equipped with a short conversation with Lumet, which I alluded to earlier.
Find Me Guilty is not a must own DVD, it is not even an "own" DVD. This movie might, might, make an okay rental but you are going to forget about it as soon as you eject it from the player.