Runaway Jury / Class Action (Essential Collection)

Advantages: Good acting, tense thriller
Disadvantages: Formulaic perhaps

...Really, Ciao-ers... the lengths I go to to make sure you get to hear all about the forthcoming movie releases. So it was that I rose early on Sunday morning to catch a preview of "Runaway Jury". The story is the film adaption of a John Grisham novel - one I have not read, but I am familiar with his court-room dramas which, although I have previously enjoyed, I thought quite formulaic, kind of "court-room drama by numbers". A few points first - the novel was called "The Runaway Jury" - the definite article has been dropped from the film title. Furthermore, the subject of the novel was actually a legal claim made against the cigarette industry, this is not the case in the film. John Cusack plays Nick Easter who, as the film begins, has been called up for jury duty. He asks his friends to suggest ways he can get out it but he... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: entertaining film, well acted
Disadvantages: it's been done before

...The Runaway Jury: If you have ever been called up for Jury Service in the UK you know that the first few days at least are pretty boring, sitting in a room potentially for a great portion of the day without your name being called. And even if you do get called there is no guarantee that you will sit on a jury. I've done Jury service twice and I was lucky enough to be called twice, I have to say that it was interesting. As regular Joe public I've no idea about the ins and outs of selection except that if you know the person on trial then you let someone know and they let you go. However in the US it would seem that trying to influence who sits on a Jury seems to be big business, they try to influence verdicts by getting someone who is biased to their cause. The idea of Jury selection of course is too eradicate bias but in reality... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: fast paced, interesting twists
Disadvantages: hoffman mumbling

...John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Bruce Davison and Bruce McGill all star in Runaway Jury. Cusack and Weisz are a couple. We see Cusack get pulled up for jury service, and at first, he acts as though its a burden. We see him meet Weisz in a weird black magic sort of shop, where its implied they first met, but in fact theyre a couple so not sure what went on there. The case is about guns. One day in work, after seeing him at his sons birthday party, we see a man go about his day when suddenly shots start firing. 11 people get killed, with some others wounded critically. The man is shot, and 2 years later his trial comes. His widow is sueing the company that made the guns, as the gunman had shot himself dead. He had been a disgruntled employee who had gone to his floor where he worked and opened fire... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful