12 wonderful actors.

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2006)

(January,2006) I'll start by saying that if there's anyone who rates this film as "hated it",they obviously don't know hard hitting / good drama when they see it. These 12 actors performances are so alive, vital and powerful, it's amazing to think this film didn't win Best Picture that year.
Henry Fonda gives a simplistic yet very deep performance in the way his character says "not guilty" but wisely does not say,"I know he's not". that would've undermined the whole of his performance.
Lee J. Cobb is fantastic as not just prejudiced like the other older male juror but just angry inside at everything. Especially when Fonda calls him a "sadist".
John Fielder always great as the meek yet outspoken kind. Jack Warden as a guy who'd rather be at the ballgame than having his life interrupted for something he could care less about.
E.G. Marshall gives a quiet yet strong performance as well. A man who is so "sure and certain" about everything. Only to be proved wrong later. The rest are fantastic in their own ways as well.
Since most of us here are familiar with the story, I wont go into it but I will say I really love how Henry Fonda finally breaks the last two hold-outs into voting "not guilty" for the right reasons.
10 stars because it is justifiably so. Anything less would be a crime.