Movie Review: My Cousin Vinny

The first time I saw My Cousin Vinny, I was very young. The only reason I didn’t change the channel is because of Joe Pesci, who I had seen in Home Alone 1 & 2. As the movie progressed, so did my interest and enjoyment. My Cousin Vinny, directed by Jonathan Lynn (The Whole Nine Yards), is one of best comedies ever made.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Billy and Stan, two young friends are on vacation in Alabama. They stop at a department store to buy things and they steal a can of tuna. The store clerk is later found dead, and because of miscommunication, Billy and Stan, thinking they’re being charged with shoplifting, find themselves accused of murder.

Stuck in this huge mess, they call Billy’s cousin Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci), a laywer to help them out. Vinny is an injury lawyer, who has no experience to speak of and has graduated law school after six failures. While Stan refuses to hire Vinny’s services and goes for the Defence Attorney, Billy has an idea of what his cousin is capable of, and decides to give him a chance.

After a couple of hearings, Vinny wins both Billy and Stan over, but that is when the problems begin. Judge Chamberlain Haller (Fred Gwynne) finds himself getting irritated by everything Vinny does. Whether it’s his attire, his pronunciation of certain words or just his style of talking, Vinny always finds himself at the receiving end of the Judge’s ire.

Marisa Tomei plays Mona Lisa Vito, Vinny’s fiancée. How her knowledge of cars eventually helps Vinny in a big way is something to watch. Vinny, slowly but with full confidence makes the eye-witnesses look stupid, and turns the entire case upside down.

In the middle of all this, there are other things and people who give Vinny a hard time, and after a point he just loses it and kicks everyone’s ass! There are plenty of situations which make Vinny’s life miserable, and it makes for great comedy. Trains, animals, barflies…the reactions they get from Vinny are hilarious!

THE PERFORMANCES

Joe Pesci as Vincent Gambini shows he is one of the best actors around, not only capable of carrying a movie on his shoulders but also making it a film worth watching over and over again. He is absolutely hilarious in almost every scene, with his funny body language and unique style of talking.

Fred Gwynne is awesome as the stern judge, who is always on Vinny’s case. The scenes between Vinny and the judge are so good, you will burst out laughing just seeing them in the same frame.

Marisa Tomei plays the lawyer’s fiancée to the hilt. Playing a young woman, Tomei is very girly and ultra-cute. Her character Mona Lisa Vito helps Vinny at a very crucial stage of the trial, and she leaves everyone present in the courtroom most impressed. Tomei won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH MY COUSIN VINNY

Why? Because you will fall off the sofa laughing, that’s why. You will hold your stomach and hope you don’t die laughing, that’s why. Joe Pesci’s scenes with Fred Gwynne will make you explode with laughter. And the scenes where Vinny and Mona Lisa can’t sleep peacefully will make your sides ache, and make tears flow down your cheeks. You don’t know what funny is till you’ve seen My Cousin Vinny. Do yourself a favour and watch it…tonight!

(From my Buzz18 DVD Reccos)