Des hommes d'honneur

This is one of my favorite movies, and one of the best courtroom dramas ever. I can watch it over and over again. It's one of those movies that if I flip the channel and it's on, welp, that's it, I'm going to end up watching the entire thing. (Also in this category: Apollo 13. The constant? Kevin Bacon!) .. A Few Good Men is gripping. It's one of those rare films that is built almost entirely on it's dialogue, and succeeds brilliantly. The script is intelligent and thoroughly engaging. The directing is crisp and suspenseful. The performances are top-notch. Specifically, this is some of Tom Cruise's best work. There are, of course, a few unforgettable quotes, but the build up to these scenes is what makes them unforgettable. As the viewer, you feel like your fighting for justice right along side the cast. Their battle becomes yours, and the movie is all the more powerful for it.

Neo military lawyer Danny Kaffee (Tom Cruise) defends Marines accused of murder; they contend they were acting under orders.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine said "That the performances are uniformly outstanding is a tribute to Rob Reiner (Misery), who directs with masterly assurance, fusing suspense and character to create a movie that literally vibrates with energy." Richard Schickel in Time magazine called it "an extraordinarily well-made movie, which wastes no words or images in telling a conventional but compelling story." Todd McCarthy in Variety magazine predicted, "The same histrionic fireworks that gripped theater audiences will prove even more compelling to filmgoers due to the star power and dramatic screw-tightening."

I just wanted to share that, because all I can say is I agree entirely.

Top Ten best reasons why 'A Few Good Men' is one of the best movies ever made.

#10 Direction: Reiner perfectly paces a 2+ hour film, giving all the cast freedom to actually act and develop the story beautifully without any scene dragging.

#9 Cinematography and score: excellent scenes and music; making you believe you are there.

#8 Despite your feeling on Cruise (God, I hate people who judge his couch-jumping to his talent on film) he delivers a perfect transfer from 80s hot-shot/top-gun to real acting. Watch him challenge Jessep in the closing.

#7 It simply had the unfortunate timing of coming out the same year as 'Unforgiven' and 'Scent of a Woman' and lost best pic. Both of those were excellent movies and it would be tough for any voter.

#6 All actors given time to show depth, creativity and originality. I absolutely loved Moore, Bacon, Sutherland, Pollak and Cruise.

#5 In addition, even though everyone's performance was spectacular and Nicholson's was a brief one, he still stole his scenes and strongly deserved an Oscar. (I mean, c'mon…'You can't handle the truth!' scene was worth an award.)

#4 The Dialogue. Please, the main characters were good enough at bantering back and forth, but just witness the conversation between Cruise and the newspaper man.

#3 Chess = Courtroom. If Cruise's Kaffee performance wasn't evidence the direct correlation between chess and courtroom, I don't know what will. (i.e. Where's the mess-hall?)

#2 How many movies since 1950 have you seen end with "The End"? They seemed to know this would be a classic, without excessive violence, language, no sex or nudity.

#1 Everything, and I mean EVERY THING in this movie worked…but simply judge it on one of the BEST SCENES of any movie ever: "You can't handle the truth!"

This is my all-time favorite movie. I've probably watched it 300 times and I can recite it line by line. I once wrote the script during the course of one semester in a class I hated. I still have the notebook.

Demi Moore definitely is the film's weakest link, but the acting is superb and Aaron Sorkin's story sucks you in from the opening minute. There is so much great dialogue, headlined by Tom Cruise's courtroom battle with Jack Nicholson at the movie's climax.

Too many people say the movie is average because it's "too slow," but I really believe anyone who appreciates good acting and good stories has to put this one near the top of their list.

A Few Men is a must see movie. With so many talented actor this movie is a classic. The performance of Tom Cruise is outstanding, one of his best movies yet. I recommend this movie for all people, and especially ex military or people who are planing to join the military. The overview of the movie is, fighting with your own conscience weather to follow the order given form your superior officer. The outcome of movie leaves you wondering whether or not we should follow orders that are ethically wrong to our beliefs, even if it comes for some one above you. Again I enjoyed this movie very much and I am in the process of joining the military and I guess I can envision my-self in a similar difficult situation.