Find Me Guilty (2006)

[trekgeezer]

I've been wanting to watch this since I first read about it.  Joe Pecsi was originally offered the lead in this movie, but then director Sidney Lamet made an inspired casting choice for the lead, Vin Diesel!

Find Me Guilty is based on the longest trial in US history.  When small time mobster Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio (Vin Diesel) decides to defend himself it really throws wrench in the works.

Jackie gets pinched in a drug deal and ends up getting a 30 year sentence. Seems Jackie suffers from sleep apnea and slept through most of the trial and didn't know what his lawyer was doing. When he's tried with a bunch of other mobsters under the RICO act, he decides to go it alone.

Diesel puts in a very good performance and proves that he actually has some acting chops.  He really makes you believe the character.  

If you like courtroom antics, this is one to watch. Ron Silver plays the judge, Linus Roach is the frustrated federal prosecuter, and Peter Dinklage is one of the other defense attorneys who helps Jackie.

I watched this on Directv pay-per-view and Leonard Maltin has a little thing called the Maltin Minute before some of the movies (especiall the overlooked ones) and he said that a lot of critics tried to get the word out on this one, but it still slid under the radar.

[Viktorcrayon]

I might check this one out actually. Vin Diesel also did an excellent performance on the video game "Chronicles of Riddick". He has it in him!

I actually thought Pitch black was entertaining as well.

[Neville]

This movie deserved a much better result at the box office. They marketed as a dark comedy, and it's a gangster film as serious and as revealing of the mob's inner working as Martin Scorsese's films. Of course, Sidney Lumet's camerawork is far more restrained than Scorsese's, but that you should know beforehand.

I found it a very good movie, and Vin Diesel was as good as anybody else in the cast, and we're talking about veteran actors here.

Heard Diesel wants to direct and star in a "Hannibal" biopic, I'd love to see him in another good movie.

[Ash]

I have been wanting to see this ever since I read Ebert's positive review.  He gave it 3 out of 4 stars.
I think this one will be next on my "to watch" list.

READ EBERT'S REVIEW

Vin Deisel is one of my favorite actors working today and it always bugs me when people say that he can't act.
Yes, he can!  

[Neville]

Oh, yes. He can act. That's why I get so mad when I watch him doing crap like "XXX". He should be out there making good films.

[Yaddo 42]

The critical buzz interested me, and it's entirely justified. I've been recommending this to people I know, but no real luck. Maybe it'll get rediscovered on TV at some point. It's an understated Sidney Lumet film, a style that is out of sync with the popcorn fodder aimed at attention span lacking viewers who go to theaters and rent movies. A film for adults, which is so different from an "adult movie".

Diesel can act, he just has to balance his acting with his attempts to be a movie star. I'll excuse crap like The Pacifier if gives him the freedom to make stuff like this. Like I said in a thread about Chronicles of Riddick, he's in a rebuilding phase, his name had become a punchline after some of his recent flops. Also I think the Rock kind of stole some of his thunder by getting better notices for his screen presence and acting (even in bad films) than anyone expected.

[trekgeezer]

Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) is another guy that with the right kind of film could really have a break out role.  If he would only drop the wrestling pseudonym and find the right script. He definitely has presence and seems to have a natural talent for acting.

[Neville]

I have to admit he completely stole the show on "Be Cool", but I still have to see him tackle another role with that enthusiasm.

[Yaddo 42]

Have you seen The Rundown, Neville? It's the best thing I've seen The Rock in so far. Fun mix of action and humor.

Don't know if The Rock could carry a serious drama on his own, be interesting to find out, I haven't seen his recent football movie.

Back to Diesel though, his attempts at the action star/tough guy films haven't gone well, the two that did do well he walked away from possible franchises. His straight dramas have shown him off to better effect, even his supporting role in Boiler Room made that film better than it was on the surface.

And the guy has a sense of humor and can poke fun of his tough guy image. Maybe he needs a good action comedy of his own to play with.

[Neville]

Have you seen The Rundown, Neville? It's the best thing I've seen The Rock in so far. Fun mix of action and humor.

Yes, and i agree it's probably his best movie so far. It's just that I wish he did more real acting, even if it's only supporting roles like in "Be Cool" than more actioners.