Review of A Few Good Men (1992) by Jiana W — 04 Jun 2013

An excellent courtroom drama. The script and dialogue is absolutely phenomenal and engaging. The actors do a tremendous job of delivering Aaron Sorkin's famed, snappy prose. I can only hope to be able to write such legendary dialogue. Tom Cruise is just beast in this, as well as Jack Nicholson. The sparks and barbs truly fly once they get into the courtroom together and I loved the physical acting by Cruise in this. Kaffe's unnerved facial expressions when he realizes questioning Jessep will not be easy in the least. His decision to continue questioning him and the noticeably shaky hand as he downs a glass of water after this decision. Brilliant.

This is a movie that really digs deep in the discussion of duty, honor, and following orders. Somehow I saw the ending coming as they were listing the rulings. The "only following orders" excuse can only get people so far, as evidenced by events such as the Nuremburg Trials. There comes a time when you must stand up for what is truly right, regardless of what those around you may be telling you to do. Just an all-around great movie that keeps you interested throughout.