Who's in It: Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage, Annabella Sciorra, Ron Silver
The Basics: "Based on a true story" (there go those dreaded words again), it's about a mobster who represents himself in a criminal trial. And Diesel plays the mobster. And I can't believe I'm even about to write this, but I stopped disliking the man for a solid two hours. For, like, the first time ever.
What's the Deal? Courtroom films are almost always a boring mess. Remember The Exorcism of Emily Rose? You thought you were going to see this awesome devil movie, and it turned into a very special satanic episode of L.A. Law. And worse, this one's about the Mob. After the highs of that genre (The Sopranos, Goodfellas) and the lows (Analyze That), you'd think there'd be no fun left to find. But dang it if this movie isn't smart and funny and totally entertaining.
Rugs Soften a Man. So Does Fat: He's not anyone's idea of a natural funny man — unless you count that old break-dancing video he was in as a teenager, the one that floated around the Internet for a while — but Diesel gets real with the help of a hairpiece and some flab. They're crutches, but they make his tough-guy persona disappear long enough that you can hear him actually act.
MVP: Sciorra (who knows the score after her time on The Sopranos) has one scene, and she practically steals the whole movie. It's one of those nominate-me-for-showing-up-for-five-minutes roles, and she gallops away with it.
When You're 81, You'll Be Drooling Into Your Pudding Cup: But not director Sidney Lumet. He's one of those man-of-steel octogenarians, and he's already got his next movie in production. He's the king of the courtroom movie, too, having directed 12 Angry Men back in 1957. Oh, yeah, he also made about a hundred other movies, including Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico and Network. Feeling unaccomplished yet?