Rating: 
Summary: Implausible Plot + Distracting Casting
Review: This film was totally overlooked at the Oscars, especially Andy Garcia, (who seems to get overlooked a lot) and the brilliant directing of sydney Lumett. The screenplay in this film is great, and so is the story,(very realistic). I highly recommend this movie as I'm sure anyone would appreciate all the fine performances.
Rating: 
Summary: Overlooked, Masterpiece
Review: This film was totally overlooked at the Oscars, especially Andy Garcia, (who seems to get overlooked a lot) and the brilliant directing of sydney Lumett. The screenplay in this film is great, and so is the story,(very realistic). I highly recommend this movie as I'm sure anyone would appreciate all the fine performances.
Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: This movie reminds me of "City Hall" for its intensity and somehow for its flaws. Right from the beginning the most distracted movie watcher can anticipate the cops corruption and almost no one is shocked by the later disclosures (except maybe in Casey senior's case). Yet the main character is continuously shocked by what he sees. Despite his character's naiveté, this is certainly one of Garcia's best performances ever; hardly have I seen him do better in other movies, except maybe in "The Godfather" part three. I find it a real shame that Richard Dreyfuss has such a small part here. Overall a typical Sydney Lumet movie, relying as usual on great actor performances, strong and highly dramatic script and effectice camera work.
Rating:
Summary: intense
Review: This movie reminds me of "City Hall" for its intensity and somehow for its flaws. Right from the beginning the most distracted movie watcher can anticipate the cops corruption and almost noone is shocked by the later disclosures (except maybe Casey junior's case). Yet the main character is continuously shocked by what he sees. Despite his character naiveté, this is certainly one of Garcia's best performances ever; hardly have I seen him doing better in another movie, except maybe in "the Godfather part three". I find it a real shame that R. Dreyfuss has such a small part here. Overall a typical Sydney Lumet movie, relying as usual on great actor performances, great and highly dramatic script and effectice camera work.
Rating:
Summary: Implausible Plot + Distracting Casting
Review: Watching this movie in late 2002 makes it difficult to avoid indulging in typecasting. Wow - there's Bilbo Baggins and Tony Soprano, sitting in a car together!! Hey, isn't that Uncle Junior Soprano playing the Judge? Well, it's obviously not Sidney Lumet's fault - he had no idea when he made this movie that those actors would end up in such hugely popular roles.As for the movie itself, other reviewers here have remarked about the implausible plot, which is mainly silly due to the unlikelihood of a lowly assistant DA suddenly having a career zoom up to the highest office of DA solely on one case. As for the case itself, for the cop-killing drug dealer, I found the whole thing laughable, and the part of the drug dealer was written and played as a horribly one-dimensional stereotypical character. The whole "morally-conflicted prosecutor" concept wouldn't seem so boring now if we hadn't already been pounded over the head with it on TV in the last 5 years or so - "Law and Order", etc have managed to make the legal process interminably boring for me, and I am going to avoid any such movies or shows like the plague for the time being.
Rating: 
Summary: Moral Dilemma
Review: Well done film depicting a moral dilemma facing a young, honest district attorney. Garcia gives a strong performance. An absorbing film.
| 
