The mobster dramedy Find Me Guilty is directed and co-written by the one and only Sidney Lumet, a man whose credits include no less than Network, The Verdict, and his debut feature, the original 12 Angry Men. Lumet has remained fairly quiet in recent years, but this imperfect yet wholly satisfying movie indicates his filmmaking prowess still remains intact.

Find Me Guilty is based upon a true story about one of the longest criminals trial in American history, during which the government made a massive effort to cut down on organized crime by targeting members of the Lucchese crime family, from boss Nick Calabrese (Alex Rocco) to as many underlings as could be nabbed. 

One wiseguy refused to go on trial without a fight: Jackie DiNorscio (Vin Diesel), a dope dealer who's quite literally spent half his life in prison. Sean Kierney (Linus Roache), the crusading lead prosecutor, tempts Jackie with an offer for a reduced sentence if he names names, but Jackie's no rat. He loves his extended "family," even the junkie cousin and star witness of the trial (Raul Esparza) who shoots him four times in the film's opening scene. So loyal is Jackie to his friends that he decides to act as his own lawyer during the trial, often creating a circus out of the courtroom with his goofy sense of humor and offbeat ways of cross-examining witnesses but remaining steadfast in protecting the guys he knows and the families they love.

Some may find Find Me Guilty a tad off-putting at first because the heroes of the story are essentially what the prosecution presents them as: thieves, killers, racketeers, and various other forms of criminal ilk. The audience knows  they're guilty of their crimes even before the trial begins, and thus attempts by the defense to sway the jury's opinion in their favor seem a bit dubious morally. Are we supposed to root for gangsters who have stolen, cheated, and killed because the guy trying to put them all behind bars is an over-zealous jerk? But Find Me Guilty works anyway, thanks to its wit, incredible charm, and sharp acting.

This is a fairly low-maintenance movie, one that doesn't set out to become an epic about a crime family's battle to keep their operations afloat. Rather, it's simply about a chubby and balding mafioso who, after seeing previous lawyers fail, tries defending his buddies with a few good jokes that end up revealing a hole or two in the justice system.

In short, this is a character-driven story, and Lumet wisely populates it with an intriguing bunch of colorful personalities. Lumet's storytelling style gives each of the characters enough time to leave an impression without wearing out their welcome. Vin Diesel, whose wig and gut transform him into someone a far cry from the musclebound anti-hero seen in XXX and The Chronicles of Riddick, comes out swinging like a champ, a complete natural in the role of a goofy goombah trying to convince the jury he's not a gangster, but rather  a "gagster." Diesel does a surprisingly solid job of blending the dramatic and comedic aspects of his character, combining them into a terrific performance that ought to amaze viewers who thought he was only good at running from huge explosions. 

The supporting cast is packed with great little turns all around, including Roache as the relentless prosecutor, Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent) as the lead defense counselor (he's so good that I believe if he ever becomes bored by acting, a career in law wouldn't be out of the question), and, in a brief but memorable piece of acting, Annabella Sciorra as Jackie's ex-wife.

Last fall, moviegoers saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the result of combining a courtroom drama with a horror film. Consider Find Me Guilty a courtroom comedy of errors, revolving around the trial of the century, during which mobsters have heart attacks and where the lowest blow dealt to Jackie is having his beloved recliner taken away from him. Despite more than a few awkward scenes during which the viewer's sympathy is being coaxed by characters who have performed unsavory deeds, Find Me Guilty emerges as a fun little gem, a wholly enjoyable picture that doles out one interesting personality after another while proving the continuing skill of its veteran director.    

MY RATING: *** (out of ****)

(Released by 20th Century Fox and rated "R"  for language and some violence.)