Don't listen to the negative reviews

Best movie ever!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

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.

I for one mostly like legal movies as they are mixed with drama, suspense and very tense scenes and most of the time the plots are revealing and with a twist. And this 1979 picture directed by TV man Norm Jewison has all of that with an all right title of "And Justice For All" it shows that the courts and legal system is a cat and mouse game with unfairness and plenty of corruption, and true the film is mixed with some funny moments and some outrageous characters to round the entertainment and overall quality of it.Al Pacino(one of the best around and one of his better roles which was Oscar nominated)is Arthur Kirkland a young criminal defense lawyer in Baltimore, who watches a system with criminals going free as it's the typical lawyers and judges are making deals like plea bargains and deals, yet all of a sudden the innocent are going unprotected. As after case after case Arthur is to repay a favor somewhat political it's like you scratch my back I scratch yours as Arthur is pressured into defending a high profile judge(played by John Forsythe) who's been accused of raping and beating a young girl. And you guessed it Arthur knows he's guilty and finally all of this comes to an explosive head! This film is simply about integrity and choosing between right and wrong it's a calling for morality and in the meantime it's a showcase and satire spin of the justice legal system which like anything else can be manipulated, really overall good underrated late 1970's film.

first off what a great courtroom drama. Al Pacino turns in a wonderful performance,, as well as Craig T. Nelson, Jack Warden, and a host of others. this movie explores the criminal justice system,, and makes you wonder just how much this is based on reality,, a lot i'm sure. our lawyer hero tries to defend his clients the best he can,, some are guilty some are innocent,, you have to feel for his main client wrongly convicted and rotting in jail,, as far as the dirty judge goes, i'm glad the storyline had our hero not defending the scumbag judge,, the part of the movie that was intriguing to me was the woman hired to get dirt on the case and our hero,, he winds up sleeping with, I guess maybe he figured he would beat her to the punch so if she had information regarding the investigation he would be the first one to find out what was going on.

I think this is a fantastic film which is frequently snubbed on movie polls but totally deserves a decent nod. It can at times seem like an episode of one of those police drama series so popular around the time it was made (Miami Vice springs to mind in some parts). However once you get past the 'period' nature of the film it takes on quite a different character. Pacino's lines have been parodied often in popular culture to the point where the film could easily be transformed into comedy, but this has not been the outcome simply because Pacino is so darn engaging and emotion that raw is hard to deny. If I told you to watch a film in which the hero is a moral lawyer you would probably think that his character sounds like Mr Boring; but Pacino is anything but. He really gives his character so much depth in every glance, movement, breathe.... He jumps out of the picture and grows with intensity as the film progresses to one of the best moments of film history; the infamous court room explosion ending. By this point you're so engaged that you are going through the emotions right along with him; cheering with the crowd, laughing at Pacino's refusal to exit the room quietly and finishing with the line 'you have just heard my opening statement'=classic :D The relationship between Pacino and his love interest at first seems just like a typical element to add to the film; ie, this is the 70s, our star needs a love interest etc. Yet their bedroom fights add tension to the mix and give what could have been a boring run of the mill romance a bit of unlikeliness. The supporting cast are by no means bad, but some lesser characters seem to not be able to completely deliver the emotion Pacino needs to bounce off in order to truly explore his own performance; basically Pacino is a god and sweeps the floor with the rest. This is actually not a good thing because it detracts from the overall film. However, this film is a great drama to loose yourself in for a while and despite the depressing subject matter of 'injustice' through most of the film; the ending does succeed in reversing allot of the frustration. In fact you do get a strong sense of the film's overall more relevant message; justice will be delivered if people use their discretion and don't simply follow bureaucratic procedures for the sake of doing so. Free from corruption and infused with moral integrity; one man can make a difference. This is one of my go to movies for procrastination and dish-washing distraction. It's entertaining even after the first watch and that's what makes it a classic piece of Pacino.