An unexpectedly enjoyable film that I would highly recommend!

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2017)

In Sidney Lumet's film 12 Angry Men, the fate of a teenage boy facing a murder trial lies in the hands of a jury comprising of twelve men from varying backgrounds and different degrees of motivation coming into the court hearing. Some are present merely out of national duty, whereas others, particularly Davis, the only juror who in the beginning voted the accused as not guilty, take their role seriously as a life is at stake. I was initially skeptical about how entertaining this film would be given that it is a black and white film revolving around twelve men in a room discussing a case with no change in setting at all. I was prepared to fall asleep, but boy was I wrong. This film turned out to be one of the most meaningful and engaging film that I have watched, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the negotiation process between members of the jury. I am impressed at how the producer was able to raise certain issues about the jury system like prejudice and personal bias subtly in the film, and the film brought out raw emotions like frustration and anger which are realistic emotions that jurors might feel when in the back and forth process of negotiating. The film shows the importance of objective and rational decision- making especially in the context of determining the outcome of a sentencing, at the same time not neglecting the complexity of negotiation due to differing interests that parties involved hold. I would highly recommend this film to my friends and would gladly watch it again.