Trial by Jury (1994)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Expected more

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Joanne Whalley-Kilmer plays your average single mom raising her young son Bryan Shillowich who gets picked for jury duty. But what a case, it's of mob boss Armand Assante who is a hands-on kind of guy, likes to be in on his hits as he gets some jollies out of it.In real life this jury would be sequestered, but Assante has had no problems getting to Whalley-Kilmer whom he has singled out as the weak link on the jury to possibly get them to acquit or even hang it at least. One of the people doing his bidding is a corrupt ex-cop played by William Hurt. As bad as he is Hurt does have a bit of a soft spot for Whalley-Kilmer.Trial By Jury is a rather overwrought drama with a cast that gives it their best, but is defeated by a most improbable story. Some of the courtroom scenes are pretty good though with Gabriel Byrne as the Assistant District Attorney. He's gotten a nice collection of jailhouse witnesses who even if they weren't getting cut some good deals to convict Assante might just do it on their own. Assante is feared, but he's hated just as much.For fans of the principal cast members, especially William Hurt.

Two years after this movie was made, "The Juror" came out. Don't waste your time on this one. See "The Juror" instead. "The Juror" is essentially the same story as "Trial By Jury," with better acting, better directing and a far more gripping aura about it. William Hurt was not believable as a cop-gone-bad, and Armand Assante couldn't be more unlike a mob boss if they had dressed him in a clown outfit. You didn't become involved enough with Joann Whalley's character to be that upset by what was happening to her. Also, the way in which she interacted with the jury wasn't compelling or interesting in any way. Kathleen Quinlan's role as a hooker/killer wasn't fleshed out enough and quite frankly was unnecessary for to the plot.

Trial By Jury isn't a bad movie or anything but it's fairly predictable and isn't really a must see. The best thing about the movie is Joane Whaley in the lead role.The similarities to "The Juror" have been noted here so I won't get into that. This movie is part court drama part wanna be thriller. I say "wanna be" because it's not that original. I'm not saying the movie doesn't scare because it does. I mean there are some genuinely creepy moments. But it's that try to scare type of fear, the type where you kind of respond automatically. I saw it on television and it does hold your Attention so it's not a bad pick for a lazy Sunday.Trial By Jury also, at least to me, felt a bit like a movie one would find on the lifetime network. (Not that I'm putting down the lifetime channel-I actually dig many of their movies.) But it has that feel. The acting is actually quite good and Whaley brings a Special something to the role. She's a very CLASSY actress and that does kind of elevate the movie. Her being in the lead role is definitely a strong point of the movie.The movie Trial By Jury is not a must see.(I'd rate it about a 5.5) but not unwatchable and good for watching on a rainy day or if you like courtroom dramas.

It´s long time that I and my wife didn´t see such a boring thriller. It´s definitively NOT a gripping story and it is paced so slowly that we nearly fell asleep. This could be instead a very low budget TV crime series. There are some ridiculous scenes like the one where mafia boss Pirano wants to see the jury lady in a red clothes or another mafioso cannot stop to think about her and so on. Okay perhaps this should have been a romantic thriller but believe me you really don´t miss anything. We gave 4/10.