All about the acting

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2014)

Brilliant casting, exceptional acting. Lumet very smartly kept most of the film in the jurors' room, which heightens the tension and forces the audience to pay attention to every small detail that is presented in the film. In no way does one feel constrained by the restriction to one location; rather, it is almost as if we are transported into the room.
The way the plot is laid out manipulates the audience's perception as well. Lumet invites us to make a judgment on the case at hand - although he also makes a point about how judgments can be easily changed and that perhaps we don't know ourselves as much as we thought we did.
Henry Fonda, especially, sells the character well. It is an honest depiction of real people and how real decisions are made. His argument - that he isn't sure if the accused is guilty but at the same time isn't sure if the accused is not guilty - is thought-provoking, as it acknowledges the ambiguity of life.
Overall, a well-presented film.