A Thorough Tour-de-Force That Connects with Every Body Shot

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2012)

Magnificently efficient, powerful filmmaking that tells a tale the size of the Chrysler building from the cramped confines of a small jury deliberation room. A modern rendition of the same source material might have expanded this to cover the trial, the repercussions, the media's reaction and a happy ending for each juror, which completely misses the point. The most vivid drama of almost any court case comes from the simple, nondescript table its jurors convene around to determine their verdict; everything else is just sideshow. Via a dozen tremendous performances from his cast, first-time director Sidney Lumet produces a dazzling showcase of dense character development, precise plot expansions, expert dramatic timing and meaningful underlying conclusions. I must have seen it a dozen times now and still it holds me in rapt attention from word one.