Being a fan of "Twelve Angry Men" I looked at this with a very critical eye. What I had to deal with was an American perspective on a Russian milieu. As I began to appreciate each of the characters and his role, I began to also care about them. Their actions did seem foreign to me (excuse the expression),but eventually, as they exposed their individual backgrounds, it all began to fall into place. This is more agoraphobic than claustrophobic (like the original) and that plays into things. They have distractions. They go to the bathroom, they get sick, they throw tantrums, they hide. Eventually they must leave the satellite locations and return to the issue. Of course, the extenuating circumstances in this movie have to do with the accused and his background (recruited by terrorists). There is also an indifferent population that will look the other way if the man is released. The bad guys are keeping an eye on this case. Also, there is little of compassion in that gymnasium when it comes to returning to their lives, no egalitarian to wrap it all up. In "Twelve Angry Men" there is no underground machine waiting on the accused. This adds a whole new element. While this is quite a long film, it is certainly worthy of attention.

Greetings again from the darkness. Not sure why this one took so long to gain distribution, but it was definitely worth the wait! This is a terrific interpretation of the story made famous in the classic 1957 Sidney Lumet version.

Director Nikita Mikhalkov, who has an Academy Award for his "Burnt by the Sun", tweaks the story by having a Chechan teenager accused of killing his uncle/stepfather. The story revolves around the prejudices and preconceived ideas that each of the twelve jurors bring with them into the makeshift deliberation room. Here a school gymnasium provides an interesting backdrop.

As with the original, the suspense builds slowly as each of the characters' back stories unfold as if we are reading a book ... one at a time. We find ourselves, as the viewer, passing judgment on each juror, just as they pass judgment on the accused.

The cast is exceptional and varied, which allows the script to work its magic. Whether you are a fan of the original or just enjoy character studies, this one is a must see.

Even though, it's a loosely based version of the play, 12 Angry Men. The film is about 12 Russian male jurors who decide the fate of a Chechyen orphan who is accused of killing his stepfather, a Russian soldier and officer. Anyway, the film is done quite well with a fantastic cast of actors who each take a turn in defending their guilty to not guilty decision on the basis of the boy. Each actor takes a dramatic turn and we learn about their reasoning and rationale for their decision. It's a fascinating portrait and study of the Russian judicial system and an event such as the Chechyen War conflict which I don't know much about except from the film that it's bloody, dangerous, and unforgiving hell. The boy and the jurors aren't given names but each possess great performances in dramatic film. This Russian film is terrific and was nominated for the Academy Award for foreign language film. I wonder who it lost too because it's a great film and worth watching.