Review of The Verdict (1982) by Andrew M — 03 Apr 2011

Sidney Lumet makes a courtroom movie equally as moving, profound, and thought-provoking as his early classic "12 Angry Men" with an introspective look into Paul Newman's lawyer type. He and James Mason were just phenomenal in this movie; Newman was able to branch out and play someone who is more a POS than anything else (and yet we still root for him in his vulnerabilities and flaws) and Mason is as suave, ruthless and powerful as his compact frame can manage.

Sidney Lumet ramps down the stylish direction by making the movie seem almost documentary-like at times, like a cinema verità (C). His direction complements what is going on very well, but it never overpowers the story or the characters; there are no crazy pans or zooms, no long crane shots, none of that cinematic show-offery that is very often misused and abused.

The Verdict has such an arresting ending simply because there is no long, polemical speech lambasting the judge, the jury or the defendant with swelling music. It's as honest and down-to-earth as the rest of the movie, and that allows it to end as perfectly as it had been doing for the rest of its runtime.