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The Juror Customer Reviews (4 - 6 of 9 Reviews)

I love 'The Juror'!
Demi Moore is great as a Bohemian single mom and struggling artist living alone with her 12-year-old son (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a converted barn in a country suburb of New York. When she becomes a juror in a murder case against a major Mafia boss, her peaceful life is turned upside down by a sociopathic hitman's (Alec Baldwin) obsession with her. Though she knows the mob boss is guilty, she is bullied into providing a verdict of 'not guilty' under threat of her son being killed. I see that some reviewers are 'yawning' that this story has been done before, but Moore and Baldwin give such fantastic performances that it seems like the first time anything of its kind has been done. The actors accomplish making their characters appear very real. Demi seems like she could be a woman who used to live on your block or who you once worked with, and Baldwin is like the living nightmare psycho you hope you'll never meet! Anne Heche is good as Demi's best friend, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is believable as the typical sweet kid of someone you might know. It is also a scenic, beautiful movie. Filmed partially in upstate New York in what looks like late May/early June, and in Central America, there's plenty of nice scenery. I think this picture is well worth owning and watching again and again.

LADY JUSTICE TRICKED AGAIN
If you didn't read the novel by George Dawes Green upon which this movie is based, you missed a lot of extra stuff that may have helped with the seemingly implausible points of the plot. A whole subplot involving the Teacher's lover and a has-been PI stimulated a lot of what is overlooked in the film version. But I think overall director Brian Gibson did a commendable job in translating this to the screen.
Demi Moore gives one of her best performances as the trapped mother; she is strong, yet vulnerable; determined and wise. Alec Baldwin is good at playing sleazeballs, but he tempers this with a sense of sensitivity he rarely displays; Anne Heche in an early role does well in the role of Juliette, although in the book Juliette's character is more fleshed out; James Gandolfino in a pre-Sopranos role is outstanding as Baldwin's henchman, who ends up siding with Moore; and Tony Lo Bianco in a brief role as the mafia don, is perfect in his sleazy shell.
THE JUROR is a manipulative movie, but done with enough style and finesse, to be a very entertaining thriller.

Enthralling Mystery
Last night I started watching this DVD and my wife soon put down her Harry Potter book because this movie drew her into the suspense. It pulls peoples attention into it because of the fine acting by Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore and a great storyline. The rest of the supporting cast are good as well.

The story is a fresh one, a juror is first courted then tormented by a hit man for the mob. Alec Baldwin is quite adept at being scary when he wants to be and charming as well. Demi is by no means a helpless beauty. She shows herself to be artistic, intelligent, and resourceful as well.

When first threatened she succumbs to the demands of "The Teacher", but when he murders her closest friend, she sets a course for revenge. If the mob can't help her she will enlist the assistance of her friends in South America. One gets a pretty good idea of how a womans inner strength can prevail over the worst evil.

The DVD includes extras and has excellent picture and sound quality. Anyone that enjoys suspense movies like "Witness", "The Client", and "Narrow Margin", or TV series like "The Sopranos" should like this movie. If you like this you might also enjoy Alec Baldwin in "The Shadow".

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