![]() In Legally Blonde, the climax of the movie involves Elle Woods getting the murder victim's daughter to incriminate herself on the stand, by using a clever line of questioning that seems unrelated, thereby proving the innocence of Elle's client (the deceased's ex-wife).(As a side note, the real-life drug lord Nino Brown was modeled on tried the exact same stunt and failed) Or at least, it worked for a few minutes. This works and he gets a ludicrously small sentence in exchange for testimony - despite every piece of evidence, including eyewitness testimony from an undercover cop - saying Nino was the boss. In the climactic trial scene of New Jack City, Nino Brown stands up and dramatically accuses one of his lieutenants of being the real head of the gang, Cash Money Brothers.Mostly because Flonne is capable of looking after herself, AND the new laws in the Netherworld force him to do this or let Laharl be convicted. This happens in Devils Attorney as well, although it isn't as heavy on the Tear Jerker part.Neither Twilight nor Phoenix himself are amused. In Turnabout Storm, Phoenix Wright, as a last ditch effort to save Rainbow Dash from a sure guilty veridict, accuses Fluttershy for the murder in order to buy more time to investigate. ![]() Also, the jury was terrified of convicting an innocent person because the state had recently executed an innocent superhero who was framed in exactly the sort of super-sciencey way the defense attorney was suggesting. In the epilogue it's established that if anyone tried that today the prosecution could tear them to pieces any number of ways, but he got a pass because he was the first to do it. Because these things do really happen in Astro City, it works. He suggests that his client was being mind-controlled, that the murderer was a shapeshifter or an evil twin from another dimension, even that the victim was still alive before the coroner cut her open. One story arc in Astro City is about a lawyer who defends an obviously-guilty murderer by invoking superhero tropes.Variant: Kurt Godel in Mahou Sensei Negima claimed himself to be behind the attack on Negi's village.The Witness takes a very grim and depressing event and turns it inside out by placing you as close to the action as possible, then gently daring you to not look away. But you're never invited to pity Bill, and you won't. This is largely in credit to Bill Genovese who displays incredible honesty, tolerance, and courage as he uncovers holes, detours, and details in his sister's senseless murder and it's subsequent reporting and media blitz that are shocking and very disturbing. Filmmaker James Solomon holds back nothing while holding his subjects in nothing but the utmost respect. What you thought you knew for certain may not be true, just as what Kitty's brother Bill assumed was fact and based many of his voluntary (and involuntary) life decisions upon for the rest of his life. You know, the woman who screamed for help and was murdered over a 35 minute period while her neighbors did nothing to assist her? Or did they? And that's where The Witness really goes in for the choke. I'm old enough to remember the murder of Kitty Genovese or at least the aftermath. My jaw dropped, my eyes wet, I got very angry - everything you want from a good documentary. The Witness, by contrast, kept me riveted. Yet The Lovers and The Despot put me to sleep. In scale, the two subjects don't match at all: one woman's senseless 50-year-old slaying against a couple of South Korean filmmakers captive to the whims of Kim Jong Il. I saw this new doc at a double play with The Lovers and The Despot and the two films couldn't be more different.
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