...And Justice for All (1979)

Very disappointing...

The acting in this movie is really good.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This movie could have been done in 1/3 the time.What was good ws the potential story, what was bad was the over acting from everybody -Jeffrey Tambor and the person who played the trans girl especially.The music was atrocious....ohh so brutal.Who would think that this music should be in there should have their ears pulled off their heads.Endless dialogue which has nothing to do and is uninteresting at all points.Scenes which come out of nowhere and go nowhere.Characters who don't appear again and who aren't need to begin with.Dialogue which doesn't sound real and camera work which seems like a first year film student is doing a sample shot of work.It's not in tune with the 70\s or even the 80\s, 90's or 60's for that matter - and it definitely ain't in tune for anything 40 years later.I watched it for free and I only did so because I want to see how bad it really was.The only spoiler here is the bad performances which should have been nixed from the editor before making it's way into the film...and there were plenty.There was no need for a bedroom scene at all, it offered nothing at any point and took away from everything.Lousy writing overall - even for a 1970's era film.

Unlike most other Al Pacino "...and justice for all" seems to have been mostly forgotten in the decades that have passed since it was in theaters. Watching it, I think I know the main reason why it hasn't managed to stay in the consciousness of the general public. The most plausible reason is that the movie doesn't seem to know what tone to follow. Certainly, it's okay for a black comedy to have occasional touches of seriousness. It's also okay for a serious drama to have occasional touches of humor, dark or otherwise. But with this movie, the filmmakers seem to be trying hard to give both seriousness and humor an equal footing. As a result, the movie presents a very weird world where people alternately drift from one extreme to another and then back again. It's often kind of hard to relate to.But while the movie is kind of schizophrenic in tone, it does have some strengths that probably make it worth a look. The strange tone does get you to a degree curious to see what unusual move the movie will make next. There are individual vignettes that do deliver some power, and will stick with you long after the movie is over. Pacino delivers another solid performance; in fact, all the performances in the movie are good. And along the way, the movie does manage to make some biting commentary on the justice system that is still relevant today, showing that justice is NOT for all participants in the system. If you are willing to put up with a very uneven tone, the movie will probably keep you interested and entertained for two hours. As I said, it's certainly never dull.

While I'm sure the intent of the filmmakers was for this to be a comedy and it does generate some well-earned humor, the stakes involved embodied through two criminally (no pun intended) underrated supporting performances (by Robert Christian and Thomas G. Waites) are much too high for this film to be labeled a comedy, despite the filmmakers intentions. This is compelling drama presented in a matter-of-fact style that makes it all the more chilling. In fact, the film only goes wrong when it tries too hard for its comedic tone. I remember seeing this film as a kid late one night on cable. I came in on the scene where Ralph, the doomed transvestite, is forced to go to prison due to lack of proper paperwork and was shaken by the revelation in the next scene where Pacino revels that Ralph hanged himself. Watching this film as an adult, I thought I'd be desensitized to such material especially since I am a "Law & Order" addict and all. However, that scene and this film scares me now more than ever because I understand just how very easy it is to get trapped in the maze of the criminal justice system. And since the Supreme Court just days ago ruled in favor of retroactive searches based on traffic warrants being admissible which makes anyone a target of unlawful search and seizures, this film is all the more prescient and horrifying.

I loved this in 1979. It was a good evening's entertainment. Lots of fun. Pacino was in his element. We all cheered him. The good guys won. The bad guys and the corruption they represented took it on the nose. I would have given it a '10' back then.The thing is, it ain't 'back then' anymore. And boy does this movie show its age. I know it's heresy to say but entertainment gets dated. This one hasn't aged well. It's none too subtle. As one of the IMDb reviews I just read said, less would be more. Charlie Chaplin was hilarious in 1925. He ain't that funny today. This was a bravura performance back in '79. In fact, several of them were. The writing seemed crisp. It felt almost embarrassing today. The "5" is for how much I enjoyed this 30+ years ago. It wasn't there for me anymore. I can only imagine how this film would look to a young audience today.