A perfect piece of work

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2018)

This movie has been on my radar for a very long time, consistently placing in all the Best Movies of All Time lists I've come across. Now I can testify to the fact that this movie is nothing short of cinematic brilliance! Every single moment in the movie, from the minute expressions to the big proclamations, had me marveling. The actors have performed with such sheer honesty that I couldn't take my eyes away.
Most of the run time, I was gushing over the cast, their little jokes and long speeches, but it would be a crime for me to not mention the direction and the cinematography. The movie was shot so intimately, creating an almost unsettling feeling in the viewer. I could feel a persistent adrenaline rush throughout the run time. Every time there was a vote call, my heart would beat a little faster while awaiting the verdict. This is the very first time that I have watched a movie with any of these cast members and I realized what I had missed out on. From the moment the jurors enter the jury room to the moment after the verdict when they go back to their respective stations in life, these fine actors made me feel a connect to the characters and to the story, leaving me completely engrossed. That is possibly the biggest victory of a movie made in the past: Standing the test of time. And boy, did this movie exceed all my expectations.
As I read the trivia after I finished watching the movie, I realized that at the current moment of my viewing, in 2018, all of the jurors have passed on. But to have been a part in making a timeless legacy like this one, maybe that's what it means, to have lived a fulfilling life.
A timeless classic like no other I've watched so far. Will definitely watch again.