Juror #2

Summary

“Is that how you treat someone you love?”

Clint Eastwood has had a truly incredible career. From his early television work on Rawhide to his work as the Man with No Name for Sergio Leone, to his role as “Dirty” Harry Callahan, to his more recent roles in films such as Gran Torino, Eastwood has been a captivating presence onscreen for decades. Eastwood is one of the most iconic and beloved film stars of his generation. Eastwood has consistently taken on the work in his seventy year career. As impressive as his acting career has been, it is equally impressive how consistent Clint Eastwood has been behind the camera. From his early pictures Play Misty for Me and High Plains Drifter, to later triumphs like Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and Mystic River, Eastwood has continued to craft films well into his later years. He obviously loves what he does or he simply could have retired decades ago. Every Eastwood picture comes from a place of passion. Eastwood is also known for his efficacy at coming in on-time and under budget for his modest films. That is why it was baffling to see that Warner Bros. chose to barely theatrically release or support with any advertising what very well might be the last film that Eastwood makes, Juror. #2. He will turn 95 this year in May, and his long term studio partner Warner drew controversy by treating this enjoyable courtroom drama as if it was box office kryptonite. It’s a shame, because fans of this type of drama could have easily returned Warner the film’s budget at the theaters. We need more pictures like this to be made and to be distributed theatrically, so we can only hope that this is not a harbinger of a future where only the biggest budgeted films earn theatrical releases. Given the controversy and my affection for Eastwood, I was excited to watch Juror #2 the other night.

Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) shows his pregnant wife Allison (Zoey Deutch) the nursery room for their baby. They host a baby shower with their friends. Looking at the mail, Justin sees that he has been selected for jury duty. He tells her he will try to get out of it. Her pregnancy is high risk and they had lost a pregnancy the year before. At the the jury selection, Justin learns about the case. James Michael Scythe (Gabriel Basso) is being accused of the malicious murder of Kendall Carter (Francesca Eastwood) which took place one year earlier. Justin asks the judge (Amy Aquino) to be excused because his wife is in the third trimester of a risky pregnant. Justin’s request is denied. He will be Juror #2. The prosecuting attorney, Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette,) is running for District Attorney. Eric (Chris Messina) is the defense attorney for James. Eric and Faith were in law school together. At a bar, Eric tells her that his client is innocent. He also believes that Faith cares more about winning and her record than about carrying out actual justice. This exchange obviously stings Faith. In the trial, James Scythe claims that a year earlier, after an altercation with his girlfriend Kendall at a bar called Rowdy’s, he had driven home in the rain after Kendall walked away. They had been in numerous altercations like this before and he claims that this one was no different. Kendall’s body was found badly beaten on the rocks near the road. Justin listens to this testimony and becomes worried. He had been at Rowdy’s and he had left around the same time as Kendall and James. (Spoiler alert:) In the pouring down rain, he had looked at his phone and he had hit something. Being next to a deer crossing sign he assumed it was a deer. As he watches the case unfold, he worries that he had accidentally killed Kendall that night. Justin has been in AA for a few years, so he goes to his sponsor Larry Lasker (Kiefer Sutherland) who is both a lawyer and a friend for advice. Justin explains that he went to the bar, and ordered a drink, but did not take a sip. Larry explains that given Justin’s background, even though it is true that he had not had a drink that night, no jury in the world would believe him. He could face thirty years for a murder charge in the first degree. Justin faces this moral quandary while serving on the jury.

Juror #2 is not a 10/10, but it is probably a solid 8/10. Juror #2 is a courtroom drama with a strong moral dilemma at its center that will be attractive to those that enjoyed the small scale dramas of the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties that studios used to produce frequently. It was honestly refreshing to see a studio produced picture that was not an extension of some other intellectual property; just a character based drama with a strong narrative hook. That is why it was all the more disappointing that Warner abandoned the film at the altar. This was typically an approach taken by studios when a film was going to be a critical or commercial bomb, so the move seemingly came completely from left-field. Luckily, the critical consensus for the film and the ensuing controversy helped grab some viewers for the picture and it wound up doing about $25 million theatrically, which meant it was not an all-out failure given the lack of advertisement or theatrical support. 

Nicholas Hoult has been an actor since he was a child in About a Boy. In recent years he has become a formidable presence onscreen. I have enjoyed his recent roles in The Favourite, Renfield, and The Menu, and it was nice to see him in a purely dramatic role. Leslie Bibb, J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, Chris Messina, and Cedric Yarbrough round out a strong ensemble cast alongside him. Eastwood has a knack for drawing natural performances from his actors and the cast handle themselves well in the film. The cinematography by Yves Belanger is up to the task for the courtroom sequences and works very well in the sequences that reenact the events of the court case. The script by Jonathan A. Abrams kept me interested and kept me awake until I had finished viewing the picture. The ending of the picture is going to be the crucible upon which audiences will judge the film and opinions will vary, but I liked the way it wrapped up. Overall, I had a good time watching Juror #2 and I could easily watch it again. If it does turn out to be Eastwood’s swan song, it may not qualify as going out with a bang, but it certainly is not going out with a whimper either.

Video

Juror #2 has been released onto Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1 in 1080p. The film was shot using digital film and Arri cameras using Panavision lenses. The mastering of the film was performed digitally in 4K from 4.6K RAW files. As has recently been the case with many of the studio Blu-ray releases, the film looks great on the Blu-ray format. The cinematography by Yves Belanger is well suited to the task with courtroom sequences being shot in a familiar and convincing way. The flashback sequences and moments outside the court really shine. Like most courtroom dramas, there is not as much to look at as some films, but this picture is well shot for what it is. Fans of the picture should be pleased with how the film looks on Blu-ray, and I am not fully convinced that the picture would be massively improved by a 4K release. I am happy to own the film in this format unless a 4K comes to market.

Audio

Warner has done solid by Juror #2 by allowing the picture a Dolby Atmos track. This is a front-heavy affair because the film is dialogue focused, but there are some well appointed atmospherics in key scenes and Mark Mancina’s score sounds great. Clarity is excellent and dialogue is easy to understand. This is a reference quality track. Kudos to Warner for opting to provide the Atmos track instead of a DTS-HD MA 7.1 or 5.1. Given that this film may never receive a UHD upgrade, that was a very nice gesture to the film’s fans.

Supplements:

• None

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.75/5

Audio – 4.75/5

Supplements – 0/5

Overall – 4/5

Juror #2 is possibly Clint Eastwood’s final directorial effort. It is a small scale character based courtroom drama with a strong moral dilemma at its center. The movie is not mindblowing, but I was definitely engaged by it. Performances are pretty solid with a very good lead performance from Nicholas Hoult and a strong supporting performance by Toni Collette. Critical appraisal was pretty solid for the film, and I enjoyed watching it. The video presentation by Warner is solid and I don’t think that a 4K UHD would be worlds better than what Warner has provided here. I also commend Warner for providing a Dolby Atmos track on this Blu-ray release. While a rental might be recommended prior to a purchase due to varied critical response, I definitely recommend checking out the film. If you enjoyed the picture the Blu-ray is a pretty attractive option, despite the lack of extras.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.