"A Few Good Men" is a frightfully intense film. The screenplay by Aaron Sorkin is based on his play. The film tells the story of two young Marines who are court-martialed for their involvement in the death of a Marine in GuantSumnamo Bay, Cuba, a base where cadets are very serious about their honor and country. The base commander, Nathan Jessup, is played by Jack Nicholson, who once again portrays one of his psychotic wacko roles. He fires off one lewd and sexist comment after another.

Tom Cruise, showing his pearly whites, plays Daniel Kaffe, a cocky Navy lawyer who tends to plea-bargain most of his cases. It seems that Kaffe is more interested in his Navy softball team than his cases. Then he is assigned to defend the two Marines. Kaffe's plea-bargaining will get the Marines out in six months. That is, until a self-confident lawyer in the Navy Judge Advocate General's Office, played by Demi Moore, talks Kaffe into trying the case. Cruise is against it at first but then is persuaded by Moore to go to court and fight for the lives of the Marines.

The rest of the supporting players include Kevin Bacon who delivers a mesmerizing performance as the prosecuting attorney. Kiefer Sutherland plays a Marine who seems the brainchild of Jessup. Sutherland is a cunning, religious, and loyal Marine who respects his superiors, even though he is evil. Kevin Pollack is humorous as Cruise's wisecrack assistant litigator.

"A Few Good Men" was directed by Rob Reiner, who once again proves his worth in Hollywood. It is interesting that Cruise's character has trouble escaping the shadow of his father, who was a well-respected United States district attorney before he died. Indeed, in real life, Rob Reiner has had trouble living in his father's shadow. As many people know, Rob's father, Carl, is a famous comic and film director.

"A Few Good Men" is indeed a different film for Reiner. The majority of his past works have been comedies like "When Harry Met Sally," "The Princess Bride," and "This is Spinal Tap." Even "Misery" had a comic touch to it.

"A Few Good Men" proves that Reiner does posses a lot of diversity as a director. He has made "A Few Good Men" into a film that exposes the advantages and the pitfalls of the military. It is an intense courtroom melodrama that ranks as one of the best pictures of the year and definitely a contender at Oscar time. GRADE: A