12 Angry Men (1957)

Coming into the world of film a little while after it had begun is tricky because sometimes you just see things differently than others. For example, Seven Samurai, while I did find it to be a very good film, I don’t give it the perfect status many do. Also, I treat modern cinema on the same scale as older cinema, which some could verify as wrong, and that I should treat older films with more regard, but I don’t. And that being said, I am a huge fan of 12 Angry Men. I think it is a brilliant constructed drama with extremely sharp dialogue and a ‘three cheers’ ending if there ever was one. But do I find it to be as perfect as many make it out to be? No, I do not. Telling the tale of twelve jurors who are stuck in a room for an hour and a half is one that could very well be tedious, boring, and extremely forgettable. However, masterful director Sidney Lumet (who sadly passed away in 2011) takes this, and with a wonderful script, makes a wonderful, claustrophobic, and memorable film. That being said, this film is not without its faults. There are moments of the film that just go by too slow for me, sections of the film just blur in my head, looking back at it a week later. It is probably my fault for not paying better attention, but I am a man that likes very much to multitask. Currently, as I write this, I am on my 3rd viewing of Juno. But now back to the movie I’m supposed to talk about here. With wonderful acting, a completely brilliant script, and directing that shows talent that only few have ever possessed, 12 Angry Men is a fabulous courtroom drama that deserves to be seen, if not to be as loved as some may make it out to be.
8.5/10