Twelve Angry Men
Sometimes a classic is held in high esteem for a simple reason: it’s worth the hype. Twelve Angry Men has been around for nearly 60 years, having been adapted and revised many times. Yet Sidney Lumet’s 1957 original still stands out as the must-see version. And why wouldn’t it? Angry Men may be shot in black and white and dense with 50s culture, but the questions it asks are eternally relevant. Twelve jurors sit in a room and weigh the fate of a young man accused of murder. It’s a film entirely set in a single location, propelled by the performances of a simply excellent script.
The Lincoln Lawyer
It wasn’t too long ago that Matthew McConaughey was a punchline. Former star of countless romantic comedies, mostly known for refusing to wear a shirt. It wasn’t until 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer that he commanded mainstream respect as an actor by taking on the role of defense attorney Mick Haller. He’s a street-wise attorney brought on by a high-profile client to get him out of an attempted murder charge. McConaughey’s confident, yet nuanced performance leads an outstanding ensemble cast — including Micheal Pena, William H Macy, and Marisa Tomei. The legal process is often dense with mind games and moral landmines, which this film weaves into a dynamite watch.  The Lincoln Lawyer is a sharply directed legal drama with an engaging script that fits the mold.
The Devil’s Advocate
There’s a longstanding stereotype in American culture that lawyers are evil, often the perpetrators of the unjust rules that society writes. It’s a practice that makes many question their morals, and make so-called “deals with the Devil.” Enter The Devil’s Advocate. This is a fantastically odd film hidden in a deceptively bland wrapper. The film looks into the life of rising small town lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) as he’s recruited by John Milton (Al Pacino) to work for one of NYC’s most prestigious firms. However, Lomax soon finds himself torn between family, career and his own moral center as the stakes rise. As the title may suggest, the film is heavy with religious symbolism, building into a triumphantly mad climax. Reeves and Pacino are iconic actors with distinct styles, each pushed to the peak of intensity. It’s a gorgeously shot film, which you can’t often say about this genre.
My Cousin Vinny by: Thomas Dal Pino
We like to think of trial lawyers as cool and collected, but anyone who’s been in a courtroom knows that it’s not as easy as it looks. That’s why Joe Pesci’s gleefully vulgar performance in My Cousin Vinny remains as funny as it was thirty years ago. What exasperated lawyer hasn’t wanted to just tell the jury, “Uh… Everything that guy just said is bullshit”? The film pits Vinny Gambini, a New York-bred, night-schooled lawyer, against the stuffy formality of Southern courts using a clever fish-out-of-water twist on the classic American courtroom film. By toeing the line between farce and drama, My Cousin Vinny is able to offer sharp critiques of legal procedure while simultaneously telling a compelling underdog story. While it doesn’t get points for legal accuracy, it has heart,  and Vinny’s ultimate victory is all the sweeter for it.