While serving as a juror in a high-profile murder trial, family man Justin Kemp finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma…one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict – or free – the wrong killer.

Even at the grand old age of 94, Clint Eastwood continues to make movies (although this one is apparently his last – we’ve heard this before), and after one of his weaker movies of the 21^st century in ‘Cry Macho’, he’s back with a good one this time with ‘Juror #2’. ‘Juror #2’ is a classic Eastwood moral drama that has a great underlying premise that Eastwood is content to let unfold, with a strong cast led by Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette bringing proceedings to life.

If the title didn’t give it away this is a courtroom drama with clear influence from the classic Sidney Lumet movie ’12 Angry Men’, in its focus on how a jury debate and deliberate on a murder trial. The twist, in this movie, comes from Nicholas Hoult’s character Justin (or the 2^nd Juror of the title), who upon learning the basic facts of the case starts to realise he may know more about the case than he initially thought, placing him on a difficult moral path that could have severe implications on his own life as well as that of the defendant. Much of the movie will then focus on Justin as he wrestles with his own conscience and guilt, while others in the jury room and close to the case start to suspect that the case (the murder of a woman, supposedly by her partner after an argument at a bar) may not be as clear cut as initially thought. The intrigue comes from watching these two paths converge, forcing Justin into making an extremely difficult choice.

Like many Eastwood movies, the story is the star and ‘Juror #2’ is plainly spoken and told, with its simplicity part of its appeal. It is easy to sound old when making the following remark but a movie such as this does feel like a hark back to a time when quality dramas were being made by studios by the dozen, and not as nowadays where they feel more like an exception to be seen only in the lead up to the awards ceremonies. Eastwood, more of a trailblazer than he sometimes gets credit for, is one of the last remaining filmmakers of his ilk who is still allowed free reign to make movies such as this (even as it bizarrely only got a limited cinema release in the U.S.). I really enjoyed the movie, but it isn’t flawless and in particular some of the jury room deliberations can be a little contrived with the supporting characters mostly one note (as is to a degree to be expected given the movie cannot give due time to them all). Yet the performances are good, the script is gripping and the filmmaking understated, allowing the movie to breathe.

If ‘Juror #2’ is to be Clint Eastwood’s final movie, it will be a fitting finale to an incredible career that has successfully distilled much of what Eastwood’s movies have focused on over his lengthy career.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Zoey Deutch, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, Kiefer Sutherland, Gabriel Basso, Francesca Eastwood, J. K. Simmons, Amy Aquino, Leslie Bibb, Cedric Yarbrough, Adrienne C. Moore, Chikako Fukuyama, Zele Avradopoulos and Drew Scheid

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt27403986/