Masterful piece of minimalist cinema

Rating: 10/10 (24 November 2003)

Ever wonder why anyone would want to sit through a long, dialogue-heavy B&W film shot almost entirely in a single, boring room when there are thousands of other movies with all the whistles and bells of modern culture?
This movie is the reason. 12 Angry Men is probably one of the best stage plays adapted to film, with the juror seats filled by some of the greatest actors of the 50s. Each character avoids becoming a stereotypical cliche, and all the performances are memorable, most notably Lee J. Cobb and, of course, Henry Fonda. Interestingly shot, intensely acted, and an indelible morality play.