Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Ian (Flash Review)A quality take on the 1957 classic of 12 Angry Men. (I'll hold my tongue on the Tony Danza version. Ha.) This film heavily models the original while putting its own stamp on the story; its own stamp being interspersed flashbacks and action snippets. In this version, a young boy is on trial for murder of his stepfather and all 12 jurors are once again stuck in a single room, this time a school gymnasium with more props, while they deliberate. If you have seen the original, how plot points play out will feel very familiar. Which characters will drive the discussion or throw out wrenches this time? Each character is given time for a rich and detailed monologue which helps the viewer understand their personal perspective which helps to weave the story together. Even at a 2:40 runtime, the pacing is brisk, the acting is solid and believable and the glossy production value is appealing. Overall, this is a nice twist with proper drama and I feel I've strengthened my film geek chops with this one as the subtitles were rapid fire for most of the duration. Ha.

Gavno I encountered "12" by accident, and I'm glad I did. I've been into Russian and Soviet films for a very long time; all a part of being a Russophile! In the winter I wear a Red Army issued ushanka, my wrist watch is a Soviet Air Force Sturmanskie, I often have a KGB hip flask in the inside pocket of my motorcycle jacket, and the bike itself is a Russian Ural! From the little I've learned about the ex-Soviet Union and it's military, I gathered enough to get the shocking FULL IMPACT of the ending's meaning.I won't spoil things here... but after seeing the film, look up the Army's SPETZNAZ units, and learn a little about how they're trained and how they operate.After you know that... YOU'LL get the punch line here too."Uncle" isn't what he seems to be...

Syl Even though, it's a loosely based version of the play, 12 Angry Men. The film is about 12 Russian male jurors who decide the fate of a Chechyen orphan who is accused of killing his stepfather, a Russian soldier and officer. Anyway, the film is done quite well with a fantastic cast of actors who each take a turn in defending their guilty to not guilty decision on the basis of the boy. Each actor takes a dramatic turn and we learn about their reasoning and rationale for their decision. It's a fascinating portrait and study of the Russian judicial system and an event such as the Chechyen War conflict which I don't know much about except from the film that it's bloody, dangerous, and unforgiving hell. The boy and the jurors aren't given names but each possess great performances in dramatic film. This Russian film is terrific and was nominated for the Academy Award for foreign language film. I wonder who it lost too because it's a great film and worth watching.

d_aleksandrov "In a scene showing a Chechen town the writing on the wall says "Don't shoot. Only women and children here" but only in Russian. In Chechnia all signs like that were written in three languages - Russian, Chechen and Arabic because Middle Eastern mercenaries participating the conflict could not read in Russian. Besides, it's difficult to believe someone would put such a sign and thus indicate there is SOMEONE in there." In Russia EVERYTHING is believable, that's what Nikita Mikhalkov wants to say. This movie is a fiction, don't forget it! But all the stories told in it are possible and the way of thinking of these people may be hard to understand, but it's true. This film is a cut through the Russian Soul and it's great.