Review of My Cousin Vinny (1992) by Matthew Franklin C — 19 Mar 2009

Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci have a perfect comic chemistry that just keeps this entire movie going, and I have to admit that it was fun seeing Ralph Macchio, Fred Gwynne and Bruce McGill in the same movie. The concept itself is awesome, in that you have a culture-shock basis for comedy with the entirety of a small town in the deep South (Wazoo City) essentially playing straight man to Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci's incredible Brooklyn native characters (Vinny Gambini and Lisa Vito), as they rush to the legal aid of Billy (Vinny's young NYU undergrad cousin, played by the Karate Kid himself) and his roommate Stan, wrongly accused of murder and accessory to murder.

The only drawback I can think of to this film is that the language is incredibly crude, but its saving grace is that it's hilarious, as in the case of Lisa's tirade to Vinny against deer-hunting, or Vinny's entire opening statement in the courtroom. The ending scene is absolutely classic, and it is little wonder to me that Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this movie. This movie's a definite keeper.