The Juror
2/4
Starring: Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Heche, Michael Constantine, Lindsay Crouse
Rated R for Violence, Language and Sexuality
How could this go wrong? You have a gripping premise for a psychological thriller being adapted by Ted Tally, who won an Oscar for his "The Silence of the Lambs" script and Demi Moore, one of the most in-demand women at the time as your leading lady.
Annie Laird (Moore) is a single mom raising a pre-teen son named Oliver (Gordon-Levitt) in a small town. She needs a little excitement in her life, so when she's offered to sit on the jury for the murder trial of the notorious mob boss Louie Buffano (Tony Lo Bianco), she accepts. Right around that time, Annie meets a man (Baldwin) who buys some of her pieces (she's a sculptor) and then takes her out for wining and dining. That's when he reveals that he's The Teacher, a notorious killer the mob uses on an as-needed basis. He wants her to get Buffano off, even though he's clearly guilty. If she fails, she and Oliver are going to sleep with the fishes.
Problem number one: the movie is really, really dumb. It starts out okay, with the relationship between Annie and Oliver nicely developed. But then the story starts going and it loses its way very quickly. Supposedly smart characters start getting brain cramps repeatedly and the characters lose any sense of spunk (Annie) or menace (The Teacher).
Problem number two: Alec Baldwin. I like Alec Baldwin. He usually does good work, but never has he been this bad. It's not that he can't play creeps and psychos (see "Glengarry Glenn Ross" if you don't believe me), but The Teacher comes across as a self-absorbed buffoon as opposed to the smart and sinister psychopath he's supposed to be. I've seen Disney villains that are more threatening.
Problem number three: the film is directed by Brian Gibson. Gibson's credits are mostly in TV, and when you screw up a movie with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne as the leads ("What's Love Got to Do With It?"), you should probably be doing something else. Many scenes could work with more careful handling, but Gibson doesn't have a clue about suspense. Some scenes strike such a wrong note that they're funny while usually talented actors (such as Michael Constantine, who plays the judge...he was the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") turn in awful performances.
I haven't read the book the film is based on, but now I want to. There is some good material here, like the scenes between Annie and another mafia low-life played by James Gandolfini. There are also some nice twists at the end. And The Teacher certainly has potential. Maybe producer Irwin Winkler thought that he could bring out the film's potential by hiring Ted Tally, who brought Hannibal Lector into the legion of legendary psychos (to be fair, credit must also go to director Jonathan Demme, Anthony Hopkins and to a lesser extent Jodie Foster). Pity it didn't turn out better.
Starring: Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Heche, Michael Constantine, Lindsay Crouse
Rated R for Violence, Language and Sexuality
How could this go wrong? You have a gripping premise for a psychological thriller being adapted by Ted Tally, who won an Oscar for his "The Silence of the Lambs" script and Demi Moore, one of the most in-demand women at the time as your leading lady.
Annie Laird (Moore) is a single mom raising a pre-teen son named Oliver (Gordon-Levitt) in a small town. She needs a little excitement in her life, so when she's offered to sit on the jury for the murder trial of the notorious mob boss Louie Buffano (Tony Lo Bianco), she accepts. Right around that time, Annie meets a man (Baldwin) who buys some of her pieces (she's a sculptor) and then takes her out for wining and dining. That's when he reveals that he's The Teacher, a notorious killer the mob uses on an as-needed basis. He wants her to get Buffano off, even though he's clearly guilty. If she fails, she and Oliver are going to sleep with the fishes.
Problem number one: the movie is really, really dumb. It starts out okay, with the relationship between Annie and Oliver nicely developed. But then the story starts going and it loses its way very quickly. Supposedly smart characters start getting brain cramps repeatedly and the characters lose any sense of spunk (Annie) or menace (The Teacher).
Problem number two: Alec Baldwin. I like Alec Baldwin. He usually does good work, but never has he been this bad. It's not that he can't play creeps and psychos (see "Glengarry Glenn Ross" if you don't believe me), but The Teacher comes across as a self-absorbed buffoon as opposed to the smart and sinister psychopath he's supposed to be. I've seen Disney villains that are more threatening.
Problem number three: the film is directed by Brian Gibson. Gibson's credits are mostly in TV, and when you screw up a movie with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne as the leads ("What's Love Got to Do With It?"), you should probably be doing something else. Many scenes could work with more careful handling, but Gibson doesn't have a clue about suspense. Some scenes strike such a wrong note that they're funny while usually talented actors (such as Michael Constantine, who plays the judge...he was the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding") turn in awful performances.
I haven't read the book the film is based on, but now I want to. There is some good material here, like the scenes between Annie and another mafia low-life played by James Gandolfini. There are also some nice twists at the end. And The Teacher certainly has potential. Maybe producer Irwin Winkler thought that he could bring out the film's potential by hiring Ted Tally, who brought Hannibal Lector into the legion of legendary psychos (to be fair, credit must also go to director Jonathan Demme, Anthony Hopkins and to a lesser extent Jodie Foster). Pity it didn't turn out better.
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