12 2007

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: The tradition of Russian stage acting enriches this satisfying update of Reginald Rose's TV play Twelve Angry Men. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: Casting himself as the considerate jury foreman, Mikhalkov turns directorial confinement into a master-class of composition, performance and especially editing, as 12 crackles along for 2- 1/2 hours that grab and hold your attention. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: Rarely has the voyeuristic appeal of sitting on a jury been so cleverly expressed. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: The film's a haul but it's imaginative and rarely dull, especially once you realize how far it has strayed in principle from its source. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: Overwrought, overlong yet mesmerizing. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: It's all bit wearying, especially at close to three hours. I haven't heard this much shouting in a movie since the first hour of Full Metal Jacket. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's bloated, heavy-handed, and lugubrious. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR.org: The stories the jurors tell, of course, are different ... filled with arguments that reference local tensions and situations possessing a distinctly Chekhovian flavor. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: A loose remake that's not only as Russian as vodka but also a grippingly entertaining actors' showcase. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: A fascinating, stylish commentary on Russian justice and the universality of prejudice set in that great crucible for great drama in the jury room. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Full of passion and speechifying, 12 is unmistakably Russian in spirit and sensibility, but its themes are universal at their core. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: A powerful new film inspired by a powerful older one. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Forget it if you're hoping for some of the pleasures found in Sidney Lumet's 1957 film -- the gradual unraveling of a crime, the heroics of a single juror who persuades his fellow citizens to listen to reason. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The heated deliberations are a gripping analogy for Russia's turbulent mix of ethnic divisions, corruption, Western influences and idealism. Read more

Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Those who seek a drama as provocative as it is captivating will find much to enjoy. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: In the end the film is too much of a piece with its topic, intensely fascinating yet seriously flawed. Read more

Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: After weathering the characters' windbaggery for nearly three hours, it's hard not to feel like Mikhalkov's done the same to viewers of 12. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, Time Out: Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Read more

Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic: What keeps the film vital is the acting. Read more

Ronnie Scheib, Variety: Expansively, dramatically, magnificently Russian, Nikita Mikhalkov's loose remake of 12 Angry Men plays like vintage jazz from a veteran band. Read more

Michelle Orange, Village Voice: Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2008, Russian actor/director Nikita Mikhalkov's masterful, engrossing 12 is finally finding its way into theaters. Read more

Dan Zak, Washington Post: The film transforms Rose's play into a ballet of sorts. The story is as much about movement as it is about words. Read more