I've practiced law for 30 years. I've never seen any courtroom drama (except for perhaps "To Kill a Mockingbird") that comes anywhere close to this film in terms of brutal authenticity. The gut-wrenching hollowness that sinks into you with the deliberately unsatisfying ending is SO REAL and SO TRUE of a demonstration of how "the system" really functions, as to leave you in tears. The film is a beautifully crafted, unparalleled indictment of the fundamentally screwed-up justice system in this fundamentally screwed-up country. Whitaker is wonderful, and never gives away the truth of his character (whatever that might be). Anthony LaPaglia as the defense attorney is remarkable, as it the script. Rosie Perez's performance is of an intensity that is typical of the actress... she is never insincere, and, whether you're convinced by her obviously contrived sympathetic rantings or not, you WANT to believe her. The film is an un3expected gem with stunning performance all around

Dry account of the procedural path from crime to arrest to trial. This made for HBO movie is OK if not totally engaging.The major fault does not lie in the execution of the realistic portrayal but in the realistic problem of the overloaded court system. It is not overstated or made to be entertaining and so we have a picture as plodding as the procedure.The ending is bit of a letdown, however, as the stats show before the credits roll, ultimately right on realistic. It is that realism that handcuff this from being any more than a chronological account of an inherently involved process that leaves little to the imagination and a lot to the non-exciting plea bargain processes.A good primer for pre law students but at best an easy homework assignment for the rest of us.

"Criminal Justice" is an outstanding film, well-acted, well-paced, and one of the most disappointing films I've ever seen. You no doubt are aware that this review contains spoilers. How ironic since this film's ending spoiled everything that came before. Rosa Perez plays a hooker who is raped. Forest Whitaker is a street thug accused of the crime. It's unclear throughout who actually raped her. This film is like a documentary-style expose of how prosecutors and public defenders do their jobs. And it's all enlightening and entertaining. This film showed the kind of nuts-n-bolts grunt work pushed aside in other films looking to roll right through its plot. It's more of a behind-the-scenes film. The film would've worked just sticking to that. But then at the end it turns into --no offense intended--a "TV Movie of the Week" or "Lifetime" melodrama. Whitaker's revealed as the rapist in a cheesy courtroom scene with Perez starring him down while he tries to cop a quick plea-- a plea he refused earlier while declaring his innocence. It makes no sense--he was going to see her at the pretrial. Meanwhile, she was being prepared for the witness stand. So, why wait to take the plea at the pretrial? So the film could have some big dramatic moment. It didn't work. and before the credits role, a disclaimer about plea bargaining is shown. The ending didn't provide a twist, it was a cop out, a manipulation, and completely undermined an otherwise good movie.TLD - Chicago

"Criminal Justice" is a journeyman quasi-docudrama TV flick which takes the viewer step-by-step through the US criminal justice system from crime to punishment. The film breaks down the whole let's-make-a-deal process using a Brooklyn N.Y. robbery/assault case as an example in which the players are Whitaker as the accused; LaPaglia as the public defender; Perez as the victim; and Gray as the Asst. D.A. The film plays no favorites as it takes a didactic and dispassionate look at the problems facing both sides in a case where justice must be dispensed even though no one, including the audience, knows who committed the crime. "Criminal Justice" is an earnest project which is more interesting than entertaining and is worth a look by anyone with an interest in the title subject. (B-)