Anthony's Film Review - A Few Good Men (1992)

This military drama and thriller presents a riveting story with great performances...

A Few Good Men can be characterized in general as a drama and a thriller. But if you look closely, there are multiple subgenres at play. It has elements of a crime mystery, crime thriller, legal thriller, and legal drama, all taking place in the context of the United States military. So if you like any of these genres, this film can appeal to you. I happen to love all of them, so it's a bonus for me. And let me tell you. This movie is one I enjoyed a lot.

The plot begins at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where a member of the Marine Corps named Santiago is attacked one night in his barracks by two other Marines, leaving him to die in a hospital an hour later. The case is complicated by other details, such as Santiago's struggles in physical training and his knowledge of a certain incident of wrongdoing. There could be more to this than meets the eye, which raises the question of whether the two Marines, accused of murder, are in fact not guilty.

Two military lawyers are assigned as defense counsel for the two accused Marines: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) and Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore). Although both attorneys are in the same line of work, they do not see eye to eye initially. They clash in both personality and work history. Galloway is a veteran with years of experience and she takes her job seriously, whereas Kaffee is only one year out of law school and seems to approach cases so nonchalantly. But give it time. Galloway and Kaffee could possibly make a good team if they work together well enough.

Their investigation leads them to meeting various people with direct or indirect connections to the case. One such individual is Colonel Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson). This is a man who gives off a real shady vibe from the start. One may wonder if he has anything to do with what happened to Santiago. Certainly, Kaffee and Galloway may be having that same thought. Otherwise, their work in preparing for trial continues with other steps, like speaking to their clients and getting additional facts elsewhere.

After intense preparation, the time comes for the court martial. On one side is the government, represented by Captain Jack Ross (Kevin Bacon), making the case for murder. On the other side is the defense provided by Kaffee and Galloway. The trial proceeds with the steps you expect, namely witness testimony and cross-examination. There's also further planning during adjournments, which can influence what happens when the court reconvenes. The trial gets so intense that it's a metaphorical battle occurring in the space of the courtroom. Just wait until Kaffee squares off with the final witness on the stand.

This is a very good movie because of two things. First, the script presents riveting dialogue that propels a compelling story. Second, the cast is phenomenal in delivering powerful performances that bring the story to vivid life. I was engrossed from the first second of the film and remained that way to the end. If I had to make a list of the best courtroom drama films, this film would certainly be in it. A Few Good Men has many great things going for it.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about A Few Good Men, visit the Internet Movie Database.