A bit overwrought, over-directed, but compelling nonetheless...

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2005)

Twelve-man jury decides the fate of a young man on trial for murder; eleven think the kid is guilty, the twelfth isn't so sure. Director Sidney Lumet makes his directorial debut here, and he's overly fond of riled-up actors shouting at the camera, but he doesn't stray from the proved path of this celebrated play by Reginald Rose, and that's a plus (the material stands quite well on its own). The claustrophobic, muggy atmosphere is rife with tension, and Henry Fonda is a tower of sanity as the only voice of reason. The film attempts to substitute the electricity of a live performance with too many tight shots of angry, sweaty faces, spitting and yelling, however this ensemble cast has a rich anti-camaraderie that puts the film across. *** from ****