Separates the men from the boys.

Rating: Null/10 (19 April 1999)

Take 12 great character actors and put them in one room for the entirety of the film, and do it without driving the audience crazy. How? By creating a masterpiece.
Henry Fonda had started to direct the film (he produced it) but instead gave the nod to first-timer Sidney Lumet (who would go on to a string of classics': Serpico, Prince of the City, The Verdict, Fail-Safe, Network).
Through his use of the camera, Lumet creates much of the drama here. The intense setting, the biting dialogue is all well complimented by perfect casting, each of the twelve is right on target, from Robert Webber to John Fiedler and everyone in between.
This film stands alone. It is blasphemous Showtime would do a remake in 1997 adding nothing to this fine original other than needless color film stock
Sit back and enjoy a wonderful, one-of-a-kind piece of dramatic film making