Movie Review - The Juror

During the years that I worked for USPAN,a small internet company, I had the chance to write movie reviews for one of our web sites.  Here is one I wrote for a film called “The Juror”.

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I saw “The Juror” in a nice, clean theater, so it wasn’t the fake popcorn butter or the soda.  When I walked out of the movie, I had a sudden urge to wipe something off of the bottom of my shoes, and quickly realized it was Alec Baldwin.

At the outset of the film, you know he’s the villain.  But, he’s such a charming guy that you almost feel guilty not being attracted to him.  I got over that when he started to whisper.  I mean, there’s a time and a place for that, but walking down the street?  I kept expecting Demi Moore to say “Excuse me – could you speak up?” or “How’s that again?”

The plot – Moore, as an artist and single mother inexplicably decides that she’d really like to try out for the honor of being sequestered with eleven other people in a cheap hotel for several days, while trying to ascertain whether a Mafioso with the oh so believable name of Louis Buffano is guilty of heinous crimes.  What some moms won’t do to get a break.

Naturally, Moore gets accepted as a juror.  And the Good Fellas immediately perceive that she alone among the twelve has the power to single-handedly make the jury vote Not Guilty.  Enter Baldwin, to romance her, bug her house, spend thousands of dollars on her art work, then threaten her child, kill her best friend and generally reduce her to a quivering mass of a lack of options.

Baldwin is at his slimy best, but Moore is fabulous.  Her slow descent into tortured victim, then her gradual rise into avenging amazon will give any woman who’s been done wrong a new lease on life.   I haven’t seen such a gut wrenching explosion of vigilante justice since Susan Sarandon raised her gun in “Thelma and Louise.”

Guys, say your prayers before you go.  Examine your souls. If you’re pretty sure that you’re a decent fellow, then rent this and enjoy one of the best suspense films I’ve seen in years.  But if there’s any nagging doubt that maybe you’ve been a jerk, either crawl to her and beg for mercy or skip this movie and go see something less damning.  Like “Dead Man Walking.”