So what's it all about?
A jury is selected for a trial between a gun company and shooting
victim's spouse. Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman) represents the plaintiff,
while jury consultant Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), acts in the shadows for
the defendant, obtaining jury votes at any cost. But neither Rohr nor
Fitch have considered juror Nicholas Easter (John Cusack) who takes
control of the jury. He offers a verdict to both sides for millions of
dollars, but is money his only agenda?
Is it any good?
At first glance Runaway Jury might seem like a courtoom thriller, but
the trial takes second place in a cat and mouse game of manipulation,
deceit and hidden agendas. Rohr and Fitch are polar opposites. The defence
attorney believes in justice and the rule of law, while the other openly
wants to win at any cost, regardless of right and wrong. This sets the
scene for a classic good vs evil battle. Hoffman and Hackman are excellent
in their roles, portraying believable, passionate and diverse characters.
Cusack is also brilliant in his role as an average, unassuming guy quite
willing to manipulate others for his own gain.
Runaway Jury is very cleverly scripted and filmed. People are continuously
manipulated, often without even being aware of it. Shot selection is
varied and editing tight, creating a film laced with standard camera
angles, surveillance footage, rotating shots and fast cuts between
different scenes. The end result is a very watchable, intelligent
thriller.
Score: 4/5
How about those special features?
Runaway Jury is laden with detailed and well-made extras. It kicks off
with two delete scenes, followed by two more, with commentary by Hoffman
and Hackman respectively. The extras focus quite extensively on these two
actors, who have known each other since drama school, playing in their
first film opposite one another.
There's a detailed segment of the filming of the bathroom showdown between
Rohr and Fitch. A pleasant, and often humorous, informal interview with
Hoffman and Hackman follows, where they discuss their friendship,
themselves, the film and their different views on acting. Next up is an
ensemble of interviews with the rest of the cast
What I really appreciated about the extras was the wealth of information
provided on how the film was made. There's the traditional making of
insert, which is supplemented with dedicated features on cinematography,
production design and editing. The production design feature with the
discussion of how the courtroom was created is particularly good. I would
really recommend watching these last three inserts, it will increase your
appreciation of the film exponentially.
Score: 5/5
Best part:
The bathroom showdown between Rohr (Hoffman) and Fitch (Hackman)
Best quote:
"Trials are too important to be left up to juries” Rankin Fitch
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Runaway
Jury