Find Me Guilty (R, 2006)

FIND ME GUILTY begins as Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel), a middling mobster, is shot in his bed by his junkie cousin Tony (Raúl Esparza). As he recovers, he's called to snitch on his "family," and when he refuses, finds himself convicted of drug charges (a 30-year sentence), then part of the trial against the Lucchese crime family as well. Here he decides to defend himself, occasionally aided by lead attorney Ben Klandis (Peter Dinklage). Jackie strains the patience of the chief prosecutor (Linus Roache) and his fellow defendants, including mob boss Nick Calabrese (Alex Rocco). Not to mention Judge Finestein (Ron Silver), whose efforts to control proceedings fail predictably, as he plays "straight man" to Jackie's antics.

Find Me Guilty's script, reportedly based on actual, unwieldy transcripts, lacks shape, instead delivering a series of disjointed scenes and occasional punch-lines to jokes that aren't very funny. The film's distractions include stilted dialogue, a perversely immobile camera (this from the director, Sidney Lumet, who made the riveting Dog Day Afternoon), and odd show-stopping events). Crowds of defendants fill shots but such images do little to build individual characterizations.

The only woman in sight (aside from Jackie's very loyal and mostly mute daughter) is Jackie's ex, who comes to see him in prison on news that his mother has died (off screen). During her brief and difficult scene (Jackie tries to seduce her in the visiting room), Annabella Sciorra brings a subtlety and intelligence mostly missing from the rest of the film.

Studio: Freestyle Releasing
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Alex Rocco, Peter Dinklage, Vin Diesel
Genre: Drama
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: March 17, 2006
DVD release: June 27, 2006
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: for strong language and some violence