Aimiable mobster Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) is shot by his own cousin Tony Compagna at home while on probation. He is later sentenced to 30 years for dealing drugs. Prosecutor Sean Kierney offers him a deal in an upcoming RICO case against his mob family. He refuses and also fires his lawyers for doing a bad job. He's defending himself in the massive trial and becomes an endearing jokester in front of the court. At first, defense lawyer Ben Klandis (Peter Dinklage) sees advantage in the juror laughing at Jackie's joking personality.
It's a pretty long trial and a pretty long movie. Director Sidney Lumet is unable wrangle it into a tighter, more thrilling story. What's great is the amazing performance coming from Vin Diesel. He's not just great but also very versatile. It's a great character and he's terrific in it. This could have been an award winning character study if Lumet concentrated on that rather than a courtroom procedural. The court case could never end well when the mob guys get away with murder especially for a real case. However a personal drama digging deep inside Jackie's personality could be something truly great.
It's a pretty long trial and a pretty long movie. Director Sidney Lumet is unable wrangle it into a tighter, more thrilling story. What's great is the amazing performance coming from Vin Diesel. He's not just great but also very versatile. It's a great character and he's terrific in it. This could have been an award winning character study if Lumet concentrated on that rather than a courtroom procedural. The court case could never end well when the mob guys get away with murder especially for a real case. However a personal drama digging deep inside Jackie's personality could be something truly great.