14/36
While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, a family man finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma, one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict or free the wrong killer.. Kiefer Sutherland got his part by writing to Clint Eastwood telling him how big a fan of his he was, and that he wanted to star in one of his movies before he retired. Kiefer’s father, Donald Sutherland, had co-starred with Clint in Kelly’s Heroes (1970) and Space Cowboys (2000).. Larry Lasker: We’re only as sick as our secrets.. Referenced in Open Bar: #120 – Glicked Dominates, Snow White Panic, Captain America Disaster (2024). Hard Livin’Written by Chris Stapleton and Kendell MarvelPerformed by Chris StapletonCourtesy of Mercury Nashville RecordsUnder license from Universal Music Enterprises. I saw this film at the premier in the TCL Chinese theater as the closing film of the AFI Film Festival of 2024. Nicholas Hoult stars as the titular character who is forced into a moral dilemma when he is chosen to be on a jury for a murder . The story is kind of a twist on the old Henry Fonda role in "12 Angry Men" of which I can’t say more without creating a spoiler. Hoult’s performance is more than adequate along with the rest of the stellar cast including Toni Collete as the prosecutor who is running for District Attorney, JK Simmons as Hoult’s ally on the jury, Gabriel Basso as the defendant, and many others. The story and screenplay are involving with a few surprises although the inevitable conclusion is not. Eastwood’s direction is solid as usual but not exceptional; however, given the constraints of the story I would say that it is more than fine. So, in summary this film is a 7/10, certainly not a 10/10 but not a 4/10 either (I reserve 4 and below ratings for films that are technically incompetent). Recommended if you can find it given Warner’s lack of support for the film!. Looking for something different to add to your Watchlist? Take a peek at what movies and TV shows are coming to streaming this month.
