If would have been a travesty if Marisa Tomei hadn't won the suppoting actress Oscar for her role as the funniest, best character in a funny great movie. And is My Cousin Vinny hilarious!! Vinny Gambini, a budding lawyer from the Bronx comes to handle is first murder case in the South-with one of the defendants being his relative. Cousin, to be exact.
While a murder trial may not seem like the premise for a rollicking comedy, the way it is set up may make you bust a gut. Honestly, you made need a doctor after this movie. This is, in essence, not a courtroom movie as much as it is a fish out of water story. Gambini's cluelessness involving the entire scenario, as well as the aforementioned Tomei's acting are what make this movie.
The dialog between Joe Pesci's Gambini and Tomei's Mona Lisa Vito is so well written, I began to wonder if the writer was actually drawing on conversations had with a spouse. These conversations seem like a parody, and a very good one at that, involving both the happiness and anger involved in a marriage, or engagement.
The only thing I have to say against My Cousin Vinny, is that I least, think it loses something in multiple viewings. It'll still make you laugh continuously, but not as hard as the first time you saw it, when what was coming was a surprise. This can't really be held against the movie, though. Almost all comedies have this flaw.
All in all, this is definitely a movie to watch. On first viewing, it gets a 10/10. I couldn't stop laughing. The 8/10 is for what was lost in repeat viewings. If you haven't yet seen My Cousin Vinny, I absolutely recommend. This is a fabulous, hilarious, quirky comedy. If only all comedies were like this. Most are too busy trying to write risqué jokes that they leave out what really matters: the wit.