36/37
While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man struggles with a serious moral dilemma, one that he could use to influence the jury’s verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer. Kiefer Sutherland got his part by writing to Clint Eastwood telling him what a huge fan he was and that he would like to star in one of his films before he retired. Kiefer’s father, Donald Sutherland, starred with Clint in Kelly’s Heroes (1970) and Space Cowboys (2000). Larry Lasker: We’re Only as Sick as Our Secrets. Mentioned in Open Bar: #120 – Glicked Dominates, Snow White Panic, Captain America Disaster (2024). Hard Livin’ By Chris Stapleton and Kendell Marvel Performed by Chris Stapleton Courtesy of Mercury Nashville Records Under license from Universal Music Enterprises. I saw this film at its premiere at the TCL Chinese cinema as the closing film of the 2024 AFI Film Festival. Nicholas Hoult plays the titular character, who is forced into a moral dilemma when he is selected for jury duty in a murder case. The story is somewhat of a reversal of Henry Fonda’s old role in “12 Angry Men,” which I can’t say much more about without giving away details. Hoult’s performance is more than adequate, as is the rest of the excellent cast, including Toni Collete as a prosecutor who runs for district attorney, JK Simmons as Hoult’s ally on the jury, Gabriel Basso as the accused, and many others. The story and screenplay are engaging with a few surprises, although the inevitable ending is not. Eastwood’s direction is solid as usual, but not exceptional; however, given the limitations of the plot, I’d say it’s more than good. Overall, this film is a 7/10, certainly not a 10/10, but not a 4/10 either (I reserve ratings of 4 and below for films that are technically incompetent). I recommend it if you can find it, considering Warner’s lack of support for this film! Looking for something else to add to your watchlist? Check out the movies and TV shows coming to streaming this month.
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