MOB MENTALITY RULES IN DRAMATIC `FIND ME GUILTY'.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic

It would be a stretch to say that past Sidney Lumet courtroom movies like "12 Angry Men" (his 1957 debut) and the 1982 Paul Newman vehicle "The Verdict" have been obsessed with the idea of justice. But it would be fair to say that those films, as well as some of Lumet's other movies, have captured the fragility of a fair shake in our legal system, typically siding with the little guy as he battles the twin bullies of money and prejudice.

So what do we make of Lumet's latest crowd-pleasing courtroom drama, "Find Me Guilty," in which the filmmaker asks us to side with the 20 members of a Mafia crime family and, in particular, main character Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio, a lunkhead lunatic serving hard time for loan sharking, fraud, extortion and drug-dealing? Clearly Lumet feels simpatico with Jackie Dee and, as played by Vin Diesel, the man is an oversize teddy bear, lauded for his steadfast loyalty to his motley band of paisanos.

"I'd rather go to jail for a thousand years than to rat on my friends," Jackie Dee tells the courtroom, winning a nod or two of approval from salt-of-the-earth jurors. Power to the people- right on.

"Find Me Guilty" is the story of the mid-'80s trial of DiNorscio and the 20 members of New Jersey's Lucchese crime family, a saga that lasted a record 21 months. Prior to the trial, DiNorscio was offered a plea-bargaining deal, which he refused, and, unhappy with his prior legal representation (the man was serving 30 years, after all), decided to defend himself in court.

DiNorscio's courtroom antics - a co-defendant compared him to Borscht Belt comedian Shecky Greene - turned the proceedings into a circus, agitating the judge (a fine Ron Silver), the exasperated federal prosecutor (Linus Roache) and mob boss Nick Calabrese (Alex Rocco), who at one point growls at DiNorscio for mentioning his name, saying that if he ever does it again, he'll have Jackie Dee's heart ripped out.

Lumet and writers T.J. Mancini and Robert McCrea present DiNorscio as a stand-up guy whose stand-up self-defense routine has both sides scratching their heads. Will his man- of-the-people, underdog shtick resonate with the jury or will they be repulsed by his off-color jokes? The film's tension comes in seeing what Jackie Dee does next. As coordinating defense attorney Ben Klandis (Peter Dinklage) puts it to DiNorscio: "You're gonna be the first person disbarred who wasn't a lawyer in the first place."

It's a showboating role for Diesel, but it should also be noted that the actor brings a self-awareness to the character that cuts deeper than the comedy. The cast is uniformly excellent. Annabella Sciorra turns up in one scene playing Jackie Dee's ex-wife, and gives a master class in acting in less than five minutes. And Rocco (known to every "Godfather" fan for the line: "Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene!") is perfect as the stone-cold mobster unamused by DiNorscio's grandstanding.

Given the trial's complexity and length, the filmmakers do an admirable job of keeping the pace brisk, though, after nearly two hours, it would have been nice to include something about the reasoning behind the jury's verdict. Justice, however, isn't foremost on their minds. It's the big lug Jackie Dee, of whom his ex says, "God left you a long time ago and Satan is scared of you." If that's true, the devil needs to join the Cowardly Lion and find his courage. Fast. This guy couldn't frighten a mouse.

Glenn Whipp, [phone]

glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com

FIND ME GUILTY - Three stars

(R: strong language, some violence)

Starring: Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage, Linus Roache, Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra, Alex Rocco.

Director: Sidney Lumet.

Running time: 2 hr. 4 min.

Playing: In wide release.

In a nutshell: Courtroom drama that'll have you rooting for the mob and loving it.

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Photo:

The judge (Ron Silver) hears the case of mafioso Jackie DiNorscio in ``Fidn Me Guilty.''