One of the Good Ones

An indie crime comedy legal drama directed by Julie O'Hara, written by O'Hara and Vincent L. Scarsella (based on his novel Lawyers Gone Bad) and starring Tom Paolino, Roderick Garr, Amy Zubieta and Jacob A. Ware.

Dean (Paolino) is an honest prosecutor in Buffalo who works at the Lawyer Disciplinary Office. He is dedicated to his profession, however his personal life is going through challenging times. When he finds out that an attorney ostensibly committed suicide, he and his investigator, Stu (Garr) set out to uncover the truth that they suspect is related to the deceased's partner, Susie (Rosanna Pfeifer) and the District Attorney, Sam (Ware).

The narrative begins as a comedy about the legal industry, before entering more dramatic territories. The main concept is Dean and Stu playing detective, trying to solve the mystery of the dead lawyer. Simultaneously, Dean is struggling with the loss of his child, does his best to support his troubled wife and attends meetings for alcoholics. Oh, and he is also trying to start a relationship with one of his colleagues, Kat (Zubieta). Overall, the story is intriguing and the screenplay can be humorous one moment and the next it can turn serious and Ludek Drizhal's light-hearted music contributes well to the atmosphere.

The amusement reaches high points when Dean breaks the fourth wall and says some rather unflattering comments and with the appearances of an awkward man named Perry (Bill Kennedy), who hangs around at a bar frequented by Dean and Stu.

As the main protagonist, Dean is a determined, clever and wisecracking guy who is willing to fight for justice. In his working life he is a prosecutor and in his personal life he is torn apart. Sam could be described as the antagonist, a corrupted D.A. who is cheating on his wife. Kat is a very nice woman, who serves as Dean's love interest. Although his on-screen time is brief, Kennedy manages to make his character a memorable one, wearing a camo jacket and saying outrageous theories.

With a plot that concentrates mainly on murder and suspense, this film explores the legal industry, including corruption and justice. From a different perspective, it is also a story about loss, alcoholism, self-reflection and romance.

This feature succeeds in being humorous, however, it would be more accurate to describe it as a crime thriller and a drama about personal struggles.