The Juror (1996)

I really like this movie - it is a 90's thriller, not smash 'em up or shoot 'em up. A good plot. Relatively good performances from the cast - it held my attention. I miss thrillers like this.

Overall an engaging drama for those with interests in legal plots. But script has taken liberties with reality and the ease with which houses are bugged, reservation systems are hacked, explosives are planned, makes the genre more like a spy thriller but the attempt is not very successful at that. The plot could have had a better focus on the legal drama. Character of Teacher has been portrayed larger than life perhaps for cinematic effects but it has a trivializing effect on the story line. The Jury room conversations were interesting but wish there was more of it as the audience for the movie (as drawn in by the movie title) would likely have more expectations of that.

Before I watched The Juror, I had one thought in mind. "This movie looks great". It had a great plot, great actors, and it was a crime film, which I enjoy. But sadly, this movie fails on almost all these levels.The acting isn't superb. But it isn't terrible. In fact, it's the best part of the film.The writing, forget about it. Terrible. Awful. The worst. The actors try so hard to make the dialogue sound good, but even with their decent delivery, it still sounds cheesy, uninspired, and stupid.It's almost like the movies spoofing itself.The movie is stupid, cheesy, uninspired, one-sided, with good acting.I would say see it for the acting. But there are hundreds of movies with better acting, and better writing! Go watch those.

Alex Baldwin is incredibly believable as a rather warped demonic figure. Fun to watch even if a bit predictable. The premise was interesting, hanging on the edge of Gothic Novel. I could believe in his head trips, because he himself believed in them.Demi Moore, well, is as always Demi Moore.I have a tough time losing myself in the story when Ms. Moore is in the scene. She is a great grandstander (Kate Hepburn or Joan Crawford) except that she is playing ... herself. Actors practice their lines to find their characters, it is easy for me to picture D.M reading her script across the table from Bruce Willis and asking him if she sounds okay.I have to confess; the only movie I believed her to be IN was G.I Jane. The role did not surprise me, it fit. As for the rest, her co actors, no matter how small the part, seem to carry the films she is in. They act and build the story for her while the director makes sure to center the camera on her whenever she speaks. The movie is made because she is in it. None of this is exactly true, but it is how I feel about it when it is all said and done.