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JTLott
Reviews
...And Justice for All (1979)
Comedy? Nope!
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.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: 911 (2005)
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This episode had me crying at the end. And I don't cry easily. It. The fight to keep going for Olivia was excruciating to watch because who's to say whether we would have given up after it seemed the 911 call was a hoax. This is what makes this particular episode so engrossing, resonant, and relevant. A generation a thousand years from now can see it and see it applies in any era. It's not just a white-knuckle roller coaster because the stakes are so high. It crystallizes the famous quote by the great Albert Einstein; "The world is a dangerous place to live: not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Olivia Benson and the SVU squad did something about it. And God bless them and their real-life counterparts in law enforcement, who too often get a bad rap.