There are a few movies that you know will be there in the list of the say top 5 or top 10 movies that you like. There could be a doubt on the 4th/5th or 9/10th but some movies are always there. ’’A few good men’’ is one of such movies.
Based on a play, this movie has a flavor more of a drama than a typical movie. This movie is heavily dialog oriented than sort of ’’screenplay’’ oriented. The star cast is near perfect. The real strength of this movie are the dialogs & the thought put behind them.
The story starts when 2 marines beat up another marine on order of the superiors. The reason being the marine not able to perform very well & sending letters to ’’everyone including Santa Clause’’ as Joseph puts it for begging a transfer from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The beating is part of a ’’Code RED’’ where they beat the marine who ’’falls out of line’’ (late to the meetings, Lagging behind while running, Dropping the gun etc). The marine dies & the two marines (Dawson/Downey) are charged with first degree murder & face a court-martial (trial) for their lives.
Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kiffer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon all are almost ’’made to order’’ for the characters they play. Nicholson plays a shrewd no-nonsense Colonel & delivers a VERY powerful appearance, he comes in for a select few scenes but casts his shadow on the complete movie.
Tom Cruise(Caffy) plays what he knows best ’’an over-smart’’/Cute kind of guy & a settlement/negotiations lawyer. Specially chosen due to his track record for coming with a settlement & no actual trial experience. Son of a savvy lawyer, he always has the potential to fight a trial to the wire.
Kevin Bacon amazes with his dialog delivery & specially the clear voice & pronunciations. He understands the limitations & scope of his character & always makes an effort to show how his character has a respect to what he is going despite the fact that the 2 marines were ordered by the colonel & Kiffer S. As he aptly puts ’’I am representing the Govt of United states without any bias & prejudice, my client has a case’’.
Demi Moore plays ’’all passion’’ role of Commander Galloway & comes up as the sole reason due to which Caffy(Cruise) continues with the battle despite rudely denied the settlement of ’’6 months/dishonorable discharged’’ by the accused marines (Dawson). With Dawson smearing in his face calling him a coward & refusing to accept the deal saying ’’what we did was correct as we followed ’’the code’’. He also adds that Caffy is coward & he wonders how they allowed him(Caffy) to wear the uniform!!!
But Tom stays after the ’’psychobabble bullshxx’’ played by Moore on him. He realizes that he was given the case due to his eagerness to ’’settle’’ them instead of fighting & decides to fight instead!!
The rest of the plot is worth watching multiple times. The climax is just too powerful with Caffy & Joseph trying to fight it out. The famous dialog ’’You can’t handle the truth’’ by Nicholsan is well known. ’’Son, we live in a world protected by walls. You want me on those walls, you need me on those walls, We live by the words like honor, pride, xxxx, you use them as punch lines’’....You got to see the outburst that Jack Nicholson shows on the movie. The way Kevin Bacon seats quietly though highly disturbed.
Similarly, The court-room encounter of Kiffer & Tom is worth a million dollars. Kevin Bacon’s cross-examination of Downey is a masterpiece. Nicholson giving Tom Cruise & Demi Moore a ’’mouthful’’ at Guantanamo bay is worth a repeating multiple times in a row. Nicholson again, ’’having a word with colonel Markinson in private’’ is ’’as good as it gets’’.
Tom Cruise’s outburst & anguish after Downey’s cross examination by Bacon is probably Tom Cruise’s best performance! ’’& Caffy you will be teaching typewriter maintenance at xxxxx all girls school for rest of your life’’ :) You got to see these dramatic scenes. They are worth a kill!
Galloway trying to come up with a ’’good drammer’’ in order impress seniors & get the case allocated to her & finally goofs it up in front of the seniors. ’’It should be me who is assigned to them as the counsel, myself..??’’
If you have not seen this movie, then I suggest you do it ASAP. This should be the very NEXT movie you see.
~Milind