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darrenrgregory
Reviews
12 Angry Men (1957)
One of the most engaging and genuine films i've ever seen.
I can't praise this film highly enough.
From the very beginning you are forced into the debate by the subtle camera work and superb acting. At various points throughout the film and used delicately the actor in focus is directed to speak into the camera, it has an engaging effect in which you feel yourself become part of the Jury. You feel the tension between characters as opinions begin to change.
The characters themselves are so cleverly developed that even after small amount of dialogue you can see the cross section of society sitting around the table becoming apparent, a very ordinary group of men, ordinary in such a way that anyone watching this film would be able to identify with at least one of them, each one having a slight difference in attitude. There are no bad guys or good guys, nothing is forced. All you see is mostly people who initially believe they are right with their views.
The film centres around the jury beginning to question the defence given to the accused. Initially it falls to just one juror played by Henry Fonda who is not happy to proceed with a verdict until it's been fully discussed, albeit to the annoyance of the the remaining jurors who are convinced and willing to give a guilty verdict. As the prosecution case is slowly pulled part and the views of the jurors alter, it's not just the case at hand which is affected but the general attitudes of each one of them, prejudice and insecurity is brought out into the open as the up bringing of the accused is discussed.
There are no weak spots acting wise, everything falls into place, is delivered to perfection and blends seamlessly. I do think Lee J. Cobb deserves an extra mention though for his performance in this film, it's truly outstanding.
This film is a genuine masterpiece, a true cinema experience that should be watched by as many people as possible.
10/10
The Way (2010)
Touching plot which ultimately fails to deliver
A great deal of love and thought has been put into this film by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez, i remember watching an interview with them both and they seemed very proud of finally bringing it together.
Unfortunately it managed to irritate me.
The film is so full of cliché and over sentimentality that it detracts from what could have been a wonderful film. I guess part of the aim, which comes into play through various scenes was to make these characters seem rude, annoying or in some cases untrustworthy only for perception to change as the film progresses and as they get to know each other. This idea also comes into play briefly with the gyspy scene to which the outcome is an unexpected one and at other times.
The problem i have is that in reality Sheens character would have stayed well away from everyone involved.
The characters themselves are deeply unoriginal. The weed smoking Dutchman, brash Irish writer etc, it's too much. It felt so staged that i couldn't endear myself to anyone. The addition of music timed to the clock throughout the film was to me a poorly chosen and cheesy soundtrack. I won't delve into specifics on certain scenes but just a quick mention of the final scene as they peel off one by one, watch and cringe.
Some positives, the scenery is fantastic and it does have it's touching moments. Sheen is dependable.
I'm afraid i didn't enjoy this film, i felt it could have been so much more and at 2 hours long it's, far too long.
Not for me