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A court room drama portrayed like a comedy, is not something often seen in cinema since its extremely difficult to feature both the tension and laughs together in a script. But in 'My Cousin Vinny' you get to enjoy a commendable amalgamation of these conflicting genres, which can easily be stated as the winning USP of this entertaining film undoubtedly. Based on a brilliant screenplay with many outstanding scenes, it is one of those few films which completely win over the viewers through their written material (dialogues) in reality. So its not a slapstick comedy but an intelligently conceived film which has some humorous court room sequences (maintaining the dignity), perfectly enacted by its entire cast as victims, witnesses, lawyers, judge and other participants in the case.
To be exact, here we have Joe Pesci playing the cousin Vinni, a lawyer who has not been to a trial ever in his so called professional career and his associate (girl friend or fiancée), Mona Lisa (played by Marisa Tomei) who simply doesn’t know when to close her mouth and stop talking. The two continue to be themselves in the court room too in front of the annoyed judge and its their mutual conversations only which simply raise the level of this court room comedy from good to remarkable. The chemistry between the two is terrific and their characters stay with you for long after you have finished enjoying it.
Particularly Marisa Tomei turns the film into a complete entertainer and for that she deservingly won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role OSCAR in the year 1993. The fine direction along with some fabulously written dialogues infuses an appreciable repeat value into the film wherein the court room becomes nothing short of funny place full of witty performers. Surely deserving more praises and recognition then received MY COUSIN VINNY is sharp, clever, funny and a hugely entertaining court room comedy which deserves to be seen as a must if you really love to watch films revolving around the court proceedings. Yet for a change, this will not feed you with that usual thrilling excitement of a crime but would sure provide some great witty moments, which you might not have experienced before in any routine investigative films offered in this particular genre.
Incidentally the brilliance of MY COUSIN VINNY even inspired the Hindi Film Industry to make a film on it titled BANDA YEH BINDAAS HAI featuring Govinda in the lead. But being a small world today, the similarity in concept was reportedly questioned by the original makers from the Indian production house and the film at present is still lying in an uncertain zone, as it is said. Anyway, since real movie buffs don’t believe in waiting for versions, so just go for this original film at the earliest and have a good time with both Vinny and Mona together.
Directed by Jonathan Lynn
Starring : Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei and more.
Tags :
My Cousin Vinny (1992), Movies To See Before You Die, Court Room Comedies, Must Watch Films List by Bobby Sing at bobbytalkscinema.com, Inspiring Films, Court Room Comedy, Not TO Be Missed Movies List by Bobby Sing.
With a great ensemble of talented artists, this is writer-director Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s sarcastic comedy which was one of the most important & thoughtful movies made in the 80s (representing the Art Cinema wave) with a strong social message. It is also rated among the most courageous movies made in that era which openly thrashed the flawed judicial system operating in the country wherein a simple court case could take years and even decades to reach any justified conclusion.
The film revolves around a simple “Repairs & Maintenance” case filed by an elderly couple living on rent in an old ‘Chawl’, against their wealthy but arrogant landlord. The case continues till years and meanwhile there are several attempts made to scare the couple to step back but they stay firm on their decision and keep fighting for justice. During this whole drama of their prolonged case, repeated dates and justice delayed, the film gives the viewer a comic account of how the witnesses are bought, lawyers bribed, judges be fooled and the whole ages old judicial set-up is used by the nexus between the landlord and builders mafia for their own mutual benefits. And the one, who actually suffers caught in between this whole rotten system, remains the common poor man who simply remains helpless as always.
MJHH was made in 1984 when the country was still developing and changes were being brought in at a very slow pace. However the sad irony or relevance of this film is that its burning subject still remains more or less the same even today in 2012 after almost three long decades of its release. Our Judicial system still more or less works on the same guidelines where it takes years to reach a conclusion in a case unless it gets some media attention or pressure from the higher authorities.
And that is the reason why I consider MOHAN JOSHI HAAZIR HO as an important film of Indian Cinema as it can be studied as a perfect example of how the medium of films can be used to showcase social problems or to draw the much required attention of the authorities towards a notable issue related with the common man. So do experience this simple classic, if you love watching films made as a funny satire on some important social issues of the 80s developing India. And in case if you are still not convinced then just read the inviting names in the star-cast given below and then decide.
Directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza
Music by Vanraj Bhatia
Starring : Bhisham Sahni, Dina Pathak, Amjad Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor, Deepti Naval, Salim Ghouse, Mohan Gokhale, Rohini Hattangadi, Satish Shah and more.
Tags :
Mohan Joshi Haazir Ho (1984), Movies To See Before You Die Drama Comedy, Must See Movies List by Bobby Sing, Bollywood Art Wave Classics List at Bobbytalkscinema.com, Hindi Films 80s Art Cinema Wave, Hindi Films on Social Satire, Worth Watching Art Movies of the 80s, Sayeed Akhtar Mirza's films.
This is one of those shocking movies made on a real life story which reveals the hidden ugly face of our society lead by the questionable media. It shows us the mirror, when we unknowingly or unconsciously start enjoying the pain felt by the others and love to talk about the people at the suffering end behind their back. Though the film (as per the real incident), doesn’t give you any straight or decisive conclusion about the shocking happening in the end. Still “Cry In The Dark” is a mysterious eye-opener especially targeting the people who are a part of today’s media circus or the ones who strongly start believing in whatever is fed to them through the various mediums of media in an irresponsible manner.
Based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain and Michael Chamberlain, this is filmed in a documentary style featuring one of the most mysterious court cases in the history of Australia. It gives you the account of that sad night when Lindy Chamberlain witnesses or claims witnessing a Dingo (an Australian dog) carrying away her 10 months old daughter from a camp tent. The baby was never found again but the case turned into a national drama when the Police discovered some peculiar developments on the site resulting in Lindy being charged for murdering her own daughter.
As the plot suggests, this was one of those most difficult acts to portray on the screen, challengingly accepted by Meryl Streep to give one of her career best performances as Lindy. And Meryl also got a Best Actress Nomination in the Academy Awards for the same quite deservingly. She truly gets into the skin of her character ‘Lindy' and through her flawless act never reveals that whether the lady actually did it or was just an unfortunate victim of the misguiding media reports in front of the jury. Director Fred Schepisi extracts a commendable performance not only from Meryl Streep but also from Sam Neill, playing the stumbling husband, who just finds himself caught between his family, cruel media persons and the court proceedings.
In all, A CRY IN THE DARK is one of those intense films which take you into the inner psyche of a victim whose small kid gets taken away by a wild animal, never to be found again. And on top of that the whole society, media and the court thinks that this cannot happen naturally and the mother herself must have killed the baby following an undisclosed sick ritual. It is also one of those films which insightfully reveal that at times, the irresponsible media might become a culprit too by entirely changing the attitude of people in a case through its questionable and biased reporting.
So if you can feel the importance of the subject here and also love to watch exciting, court room dramas with new turning points coming one after another then do watch A CRY IN THE DARK as a must and give a serious thought to the role of media in its complex as well as shocking conclusion.
Directed By Fred Schepisi
Starring : Meryl Streep, Sam Neil, Dale Reeves and more.
Tags :
Cry In The Dark (1989), Movies To See Before You Die, Court Room Drama, Mystery, Suspense films on real life cases, Must See Movies List by Bobby Sing, Shocking Real Life Court Cases, Famous Court Case of Australia, Worth Seeing Movies List, Not To Be Missed Movie Listing at bobbytalkscinema.com
Movies based on ‘Courtroom Trials’ are mostly loved by the viewers due to their entertaining conflict between the two lawyers trying to prove their sides with some solid arguments in front of the jury. The genre also provides the performers a rare chance to showcase their actual talent in absence of any action, romance or energetic movements on the screen. And the proceedings within the court, coming up with new revealing turning points at regular intervals satisfy our grey cells too which in turn makes this genre mostly loved by everyone who is also a big fan of murder mysteries and thriller movies.
Perfectly matching the above description THE VERDICT is surely one of those worth watching court room dramas, which not only gives you enough thrilling entertainment through its surprising twists but which also has a career best performance from Paul Newman playing the ‘not in action’ drinking lawyer. The film is about a medical malpractice case filed against a medical institution and presents a find blend of sequences both within and outside the court directed exceptionally. It has an outstanding supporting cast which hugely enhances the brilliant performance of Paul Newman too. Particularly just watch out in the scenes when he goes silence or the final moment when he calmly delivers his concluding speech in the court.
Directed by Sidney Lumet, the man who gave us 12 ANGRY MEN and A DOG DAY AFTERNOON, THE VERDICT forcibly becomes a must watch if you are already a fan of the above two masterpieces also there in ‘Movies To See Before You Die” list at the site. In fact this remains Sidney’s best court room drama after that intense 12 ANGRY MEN made in 1957. Nominated for 5 major OSCAR Awards including the Best Actor, Best Actor in a Supporting role, Best Director and Best Picture in the year 1983, it is sure going to provide a thoroughly engrossing two hours for everyone loving this particular genre of ‘Court Room Dramas’. Incidentally, a major sequence of this film was also followed by an Indian Hindi movie made on the similar subject of medical malpractices titled NASOOR released in 1985 featuring Om Puri in the lead.
So if you really love to watch the interesting proceedings inside the court, being strongly affected by what happens outside it while the case is on, then you got to see THE VERDICT at the earliest as a favour to yourself. Moreover the film also proves to be an important project made on medical malpractices even after three decades of its release, because this horrendous evil found in such a noble profession has become even more visible around us today in the present insensitive society we are living in.
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring : Pawl Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden and more.
Tags :
The Verdict (1982), Movies To See Before You Die Court Room Drama, Must See Movies List by Bobby Sing at bobbytalkscinema.com, Not To Be Missed Movies List by Bobby Sing, Worth Watchin Movies List by Bobby Sing
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