V For Vin

Is the era of the action movie over? Vin Diesel, seen as the legitimate successor to Stallone and Schwarzenegger, is actually trying to shed his action-hero reputation. After doing a comedy that poked fun of his image (The Pacifier), Diesel now plays a real-life mobster who defended himself in court in Find Me Guilty. The picture was directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Sidney Lumet.

You know Hollywood is getting serious when Vin Diesel looks to expand his acting credentials in a movie released the same month Crash wins the Best Picture Oscar. I applaud Diesel for his career move and Lumet for having the faith to cast him. However, the timing may not be perfect. It just so happens that the sci-fi thriller V For Vendetta was released the same day as Find Me Guilty, and that flick happens to be sucking up all the oxygen at the theaters. But if playing serious roles to avoid typecasting (known as the Charlize Theron gambit!) is Diesel's long-term plan, he should be encouraged to follow through on it, and from what I've heard about this movie, he has the talent to go the distance.