In both the teleplay and film version of 12 Angry Men, juror two is initially seen to be timid and impressionable, though he ultimately evolves and comes to reconsider his decision based on his own interpretation of the facts at hand. In Clint Eastwood’s latest, understandably garnering comparisons to Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film, juror two is steadfast in his belief in the defendant’s innocence—because he may have been the one to kill the victim, even if accidentally. Thus the viewer is slotted into the position of decision-maker, but not to ascertain the innocence or guilt of either the man on trial or the one from whose point of view the story is told. No, that much is obvious. Rather justice itself is on trial, its scales balanced only by a substratum of fairness that dares not bear the weight of further deliberation. As the juror—a magazine writer and recovering alcoholic named Justin whose wife is experiencing a high-risk pregnancy and for whom he can’t sacrifice his freedom to exonerate the man charged—Nicholas Hoult gives a powerhouse performance; this and Eastwood’s careful direction elevate a noirish plot to the stuff of moral parable. In keeping with his late-era films, Eastwood (yes, the guy who spoke to a chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention and who, incidentally, depicts a man crying over his wife’s miscarriage in an especially sensitive and empathetic manner) isn’t playing devil’s advocate, but rather a modern-day philosopher, daring to challenge where many look for affirmation. If this is indeed Clint’s last hurrah, it’d be as good as any to end on. PG-13, 113 min.
Limited release in theaters
Trailer:
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