And Justice for All (1979)

This is a bang-up story. Pacino plays Arthur, a defense attorney with a pesky conscience. He actually cares about his clients, especially those whom he deems to be too fragile for the punishments they're being given. Unlike Arthur, Judge Fleming has no compunctions about following the "letter of the law" and would even like to try extreme consequences for crimes -- at one point suggesting hangings for armed robbers. Arthur and Fleming don't get along, obviously. So, when the Judge is accused of a brutal rape, he taps Arthur to defend him, calculating that this will make him look super innocent.

There's definitely a tragicomic vibe as we watch Arthur scramble and (mostly) fail to protect his clients. The people around him aren't doing much better, and I'm not even talking about the clients. His partner's having a nervous breakdown, his judge friend has a death wish, his grandfather suffers from dementia, and his girlfriend is a member of the ethics committee. His frustration is palpable and we can't help but hope he'll come through it intact.

B+