Sidney Lumet (1924–2011)

Twelve jurors convene to discuss a homicide case in which an 18-year-old purportedly murdered his abusive father. When one juror refuses to vote guilty due to reasonable doubt, the jurors begin a fierce and vigorous debate over the entire process.

Often cited as one of the greatest films of all-time, 12 Angry Men makes its case very well. With a simple yet compelling story, it is able to feel grounded and realistic, a point that is hammered home by its strong cast that really is well-balanced throughout. The nuanced character traits make each figure within the film come to life in a realistic way that I really haven't felt often in movies, where every single character is played to perfection. It's an incredible feat that speaks to this film's strengths, as it is at its core a character-driven movie. Highly recommended.

Content Concerns: Mentions of murder and 1 use of "d-mn."

(December 2023)… (more)

Interesting insofar as Lumet so carefully considers every aspect of his films, and then fills you in on what he was thinking, how he achieved that effect when it succeeded, and where he thinks he went wrong in the cases in which his movies didn't work.

There is wisdom in the first quarter, irrespective of the movie-making project; it's decent management or art-creation advice. The back three-quarters, though, is pretty locked into the movies themselves, and depending on your excitement about specific movies (Long Day's Journey, Dog Day Afternoon, 12 Angry Men and Network are all thoroughly spelunked), or his filmography as a whole, you might find your interest waning rapidly on technical discussions of lighting those. Even if you do like those movies a lot (as I do), there is discussion of how to handle actors, but nothing specific about any of them, so if you're curious how Ned Beatty's insane short scene in Network came to be so thunderously intense, no luck for you; it isn't even mentioned.

For '70s[1] movie fans I could see it being considered essential. It just isn't for me.
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[1] Oh, and also, he admits/brags about hauling off and slapping an actress at one point, in order to have her performance be "more real." Not a great way to get me on one's side.… (more)