In writer-director Julie O’Hora’s One of the Good Ones, co-written by Vincent Scarsella, Dean Alessi (Tom Paolino) works at Buffalo’s Lawyer Disciplinary Office. His job is to investigate and prosecute unethical attorneys in a system riddled with corruption. Like all good noir, he often speaks directly to the camera, explaining the rules of his world and the cost of trying to enforce them. Dean’s latest case centers on an Assistant District Attorney accused of bribery and evidence tampering. But Dean discovers that the trail leads higher, to District Attorney Sam Marcum (Jacob A. Ware), whose office is suspected of manipulating cases and making evidence disappear. Complicating things, Sam is blocking Dean’s efforts because he’s sleeping with the accused.
Helping Dean are investigator Stu Foley (Roderick Garr) and attorney Kat Franklin (Amy Zubieta), while Chief Justice Alexandra Crane (Susan Gallagher) watches from above with her own concerns about how far the man is willing to go. The investigation escalates when bodies begin to pile up. Ignoring direct orders, Dean pursues evidence that suggests the ultimate ethical violation has been committed. What begins as a disciplinary review turns into a dangerous confrontation with powerful figures who are determined to protect their positions. All of this is happening while Dean is dealing with problems of his own. His son passed away in a car accident, and the driver is still out there. The death has taken a toll on his marriage, as Dean learns his wife is drinking again and serving him papers. He also struggles with the bottle himself. If there is a bright spot, there is Kat, who has been a great resource and friend.
“Dean’s latest case centers on an Assistant District Attorney accused of bribery and evidence tampering. But Dean discovers that the trail leads higher…”
O’Hora’s inspiration for One of the Good Ones is rooted in treating Dean as a principled “bulwark between good and evil” within a legal system “steeped in old corruption.” This frames the character’s moral code within the tradition of gritty, hard-boiled crime protagonists. The underlying story is adapted from Scarsella’s Lawyers Gone Bad series, and a Buffalo-area production report specifically states that the book series was inspired by his 18-year tenure at Buffalo’s Attorney Grievance Office, where he investigated lawyer misconduct. Giving Dean a fatal flaw also helps ground his character as he wades through the sludge of corruption, with his personal problems weighing him down.
As a film, you will notice straightaway that the budget was pretty minimal, with standard locations and a cast and crew committed to the story for the sheer love of making movies. While watching, I couldn’t help but wish they had an extra quarter-million lying around and maybe more time for rehearsal. What we ultimately have is a solid political thriller that feels like a throwback to 100 years earlier, focusing on a plot of government corruption and a man choosing to stand up to it at his own peril.
By the time One of the Good Ones reaches the endgame, it’s a grimy, straight-ahead corruption story where the question isn’t whether the system is dirty. The real quandary is what it costs the one guy trying to scrub it clean.
One of the Good Ones can be streamed on YouTube.
"…a cast and crew committed to the story for the sheer love of making movies."
