Film opinion: Five great legal dramas - Erin Brockovich, 12 Angry Men and more
Donald Trump was officially inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, which has ruffled many feathers around the world.
This is, in part, due to his extensive record of legal cases, which may make you wish you could watch one unfold in front of you.
So today Film News Blitz’s Joe Matthews brings you the top five legal dramas to get your mind racing.
5. Erin Brockovich
Featuring Julia Roberts, and Aaron Eckhart in a brilliant moustache, Erin Brockovich is the story of a single mother who balances the high-pressure life of law, an industrial cover-up and taking care of her three children, Mathew, Katie and Elizabeth.
Roberts does a fantastic job in the lead, and it won her an Oscar in 2001, beating the likes of Joan Allen for her role in The Contender and Ellen Burstyn from Requiem for a Dream.
4. Primal Fear
Primal Fear follows Martin Vail, played by Richard Gere, a high-class, arrogant attorney, who decides to follow his moral compass over a paycheck for one of the first times in his career.
But all isn’t what it seems.
Edward Norton’s portrayal of the helpless altar boy earned him several acting nominations, including one at the Academy Awards and contributed to one of the most twist-heavy films ever.
It’ll have you suspecting those closest to you and keep you on the edge of your seat.
3. A Time to Kill
Set in the fictional town of Clanton, Mississippi in 1984, A Time to Kill observes the plot of a father who murders two men who raped and murdered his daughter, which sparks a re-birth of the KKK in the area.
Derived by renowned thriller writer John Grisham’s debut novel, Director Joel Schumacher’s two-hour thriller tackles issues of racism and morality through an all-star cast including Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L Jackson and the late, great Donald Sutherland
The film was however accused of condoning murder and raised eyebrows throughout the industry.
2. A Few Good Men
“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH” is what I say every time someone disagrees with me that Tom Cruise can’t do a movie when there isn’t a dramatic running scene, and I immediately point them towards Rob Reiner’s brilliant courtroom drama A Few Good Men.
It follows the story of a cocky young military lawyer who is assigned a case involving the murder of a soldier, uncovering shady hazing rituals that may spread blame out to those higher up in rank.
There are several dynamics at play between the leads Cruise and Jack Nicholson and the latter displays just what makes him one of the greatest actors to ever do it.
The film also earned Nicholson an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
A Few Good Men also kickstarted the film career of Aaron Sorkin, who adapted his play of the same name into his very first screenplay.
1. 12 Angry Men
One of the greatest films of all time.
12 Angry Men follows a 1957 jury, assigned the case of a young boy accused of murdering his father after an altercation is seemingly observed by several different people in the locality.
Henry Fonda is juror eight and whilst his inclination is that the kid may be guilty, he just doesn’t know.
As the case develops and Sidney Lumet masterfully gives us the details of the trial, Fonda finds himself more and more convinced that the young man could possibly be innocent and it becomes his burden to swing the rest of the 12 jurors that this could be the case.
The film is stacked full of immaculate and moving performances, notably, Lee J Cobb’s portrayal of juror three; a family man crippled by his relationship with his own son, who may be the toughest to sway.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Film news: Warner Bros. finds Supergirl Milly Alcock’s cosmic parents
Whenever someone asks me for a film recommendation, I struggle to avoid telling them all the twists and turns that this film brings, and I never fail to mention the level of dialogue that IMDB’s number five film of all time sets.
Somehow it failed to win an Oscar, being beaten to the post for several awards by David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Nevertheless, if you haven’t seen 12 Angry Men, get it on your watchlist - you won’t regret it.
Special Mention: Juror #2
Proof that the courtroom legal drama is an enduring phenomenon of cinema is Juror #2, the latest work from director Clint Eastwood.
Eastwood is responsible for some of Hollywood’s greatest work, both in front and behind the camera and he returned to directing with this 2024 film.
It stars Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp, serving as a juror in a high-profile murder case and presented with the moral dilemma that he might be the true killer.
An intriguing addition to the legal drama film canon.
READ NEXT: Film opinion: Five great tennis movies - Challengers, Battle of the Sexes, Wimbledon and more
