The poor quality of video tape is off putting at first, and Simon Cossell’s character is an irritating way to be introduced to the story – “I believed what I was doing was the right thing… so I took off time from my marketing degree to serve on a jury” (aw gee, are you doing to be disillusioned? Giving up all that hard work studying marketing). But once it gets going it’s fine and becomes more and more gripping, a fascinating look at the legal system.
Having served on a jury in Brisbane shortly after the events of this film, I can say they captured it perfectly: the dingy rooms, the biscuits and cups of tea, the sort of people who make up juries (uni students, the unemployed, retirees and public servants), their crappy awkward banter. I also loved references to Four X and Fridays.
This got a lot of attention because of its conspiracy theory hints, but it’s most successful as an examination of 12 human beings locked in a room – stubborn closet-conservative Shaw (Malcolm Kennard), the gameboy-playing crippled slacker (Noah Taylor), the nice old lady (Betty Lucas), the brightly smart girl nice middle aged woman (perfectly cast Penny Cook), the laidback bloke (John Jarratt), the feisty union official (a thin John Howard), an easy-going smoker (Norman Yemm), etc. Terrific cast, which helps to tell people apart. I particularly liked Penny Cook. The art direction, costumes, etc were spot on, too.
Luke Shaw seemingly went in there with his mind made up and stuck to his guns, despite pressure – when you think about it, that’s what Henry Fonda did in Twelve Angry Men, although he was more active, whereas Luke Shaw mostly obstructs. For all Shaw’s stubbornness, it seems the real problem was the idiot woman who refused to. (More than anything else, the film seems to be a plea for majority verdicts.)
One other poignant thing watching this - they just don’t make drama like this any more. Did it really happen? Was there a well funded ABC drama department, once upon a time? Sigh…
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