Cinema

12 ANGRY MEN (1957)

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Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb): “Everything-*every single thing* that took place n that courtroom, but I mean everything- says he’s guilty. What d’ya think, I’m an idiot or something?”

Sidney Lumet directs this morality tale, set primarily in a small room where the 12 members of a jury convene to decide whether a young Spanish/American man is guilty of murder or not.

Filled with fantastic character actors, this film asks questions about preconceptions and prejudices. When you look at any crime you should take the immediate facts and use them as the foundation as you try to fully decipher of the situation.

The key here is the questions asked, which Juror #7 (Henry Fonda) does of his fellow jurors. No juror has a name here, it doesn’t matter, each representing an aspect of humanity. It’s complicated and looks at the accused through a microscope allows a deeper, fuller version of the truth.

The acting is fantastic, filled with brilliant performances from everyone. The jurors are: Martin Balsam, John Fielder, Lee J Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec and Robert Webber, each of them infusing their characters with three dimensions and truth. The script is lean and each of the arguments is mined to the fullest.

Fonda plays the dissenting voice, all the others think the young boy is guilty and he proceeds to challenge his fellow jurors views.

This is a film that will make you think, question your own conclusions, entertain and take you on a roller-coaster ride. No special effects, set in one room, the drama comes out of the conflicts or clashes that the characters find themselves in with each other. These true human dynamics make for the best kind of stories.

This film, if viewed with openness can shake you out of your own prejudiced prism and leads you in the direction of empathy, understanding and compassion. Judge not lest ye be judged.

Reasonable doubt.

So many things have already been written and said about this classic film from the ‘50’s, it works everytime you see it and benefits from multiple viewings.

Do yourself a favour, if you haven’t seen it before or it’s been a long time since you last saw it, find it and watch this classic again.

It is a important today as it was in 1957.

5/5

BUY THE FILM ON BLU RAY HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE

ABOUT LAST NIGHT (2014)

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I recently saw a very funny interview with the increasingly popular, very talented comedian, Kevin Hart in which he talks about not wanting to make Black movies, just good movies. He brings up a great point.

Will there ever be a time when a film is taken on it’s artistic merit alone and not pigeon-holed, kicking and screaming into a nice, neat, genre-compartment for the studio execs and marketing department?

This film has all of the four leads played by actors who may be in the non-white/black casting bracket. Ok, so the four leads are not white but they speak English in the film, so it should be categorized as an American movie, as that is what it is.
It’s a gripe of mine, the whole genr-ification of EVERYTHING.

Art is art is art, ladies and gentlemen.

Here is his interview in full for those of you interested:

 

The film is entertaining, everyone in it is great and it is filled with charm and comedy. Based on David Mamet’s brilliant play from 1974 and taking its title from the adaptation of this play made in 1986 starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins this version has been adapted by Leslye Headland and directed by Steve Pink (High Fidelity, Hot Tub Time Machine), this is updated and relocated to New York.

Kevin Hart (Bernie), Michael Ealy (Danny), Regina Hall (Joan) and Joy Bryant (Debbie) play the foursome, each bringing their skills and talent to telling this story of 2 couples trying to walk the precarious relationship tightrope that many have to deal with in this day and age. The comedy comes from Hart and Hall who have great chemistry and clearly make each other laugh.

Christopher McDonald plays an old friend of Danny’s father and owns a bar that is in trouble, the always funny Joe Lo Truglio plays Danny and Bernie’s boss. David Greenman and Bryan Callen play Danny and Bernie’s mates.

This film is as relevant now as the source ever was and although it isn’t amazing, there is a valid place for it.

3/5

BUY THE BLU RAY DVD HERE

DOWNLOAD THE FILM ON iTUNES HERE