Citizen Verdict

I just finished watching the movie, so I didn't have the time to fully digest it yet. Not that it is a "heavy" film, it's just that I've watched Almodovar's Bad Education before this one and I'm still under the impression...But let's get back to The verdict. All I can say is that the movie is acceptable and it isn't a blockbuster or an Oscar movie, but you can still watch it, especially when you're bored :-) No I mean, Jerry Springer is not that bad as an actor, after all, the medias are his area. Assante is always the same- in every single movie- it's like he has been playing this one role he knows during his whole career. He always have that same expression, the same intonation...it's a little bit weird, don't you thing? Anyway, to summon it, the movie's not bad, the idea is better though. I think a much better movie could have been made based on it. It's interesting to see how TV manipulates people so easily. And it get's you to, all of us, even though we don't see it sometimes. An interesting subject, but it hasn't been analysed as well as I expected it. I give it a C for the idea and some of the acting.

Overall not too bad, but could have been so much better. It leaves the viewer pondering just how out of control reality television has become. Raffaello Degruttola did a fine job as Ricky Carr. Lengthy & boring at best, some of the Armand Assante scenes could have been edited. When I first picked up the movie, I noticed that Jerry Springer was in the cast. After seeing his name, my first thought was that it must be some king of black comedy. Much to my surprise it wasn't and the man can actually act! The DVD has the usual extras. Check out the comments from the cast and crew. They were almost more interesting than the movie. Not worth premium ticket prices but just fine for a rental fee. Worth a look.

Live with the fast forward button or suffer the consequences. Roy Scheider and Armand Assante seem like they would rather be in a different movie, any movie except "Citizen Verdict". Everything is annoying, from the hand held video cameras, to the redundant interviews. Jerry Springer is the only actor that appears comfortable with this sensationalized swill. Wrap the whole thing up in one sentence. This is not entertainment, it is merely a trick on unsuspecting audiences who admire Armand Assante or Roy Scheider. Terrible beyond belief, this should be avoided at all costs. ..... - MERK

Alert: ***might contain mild spoilers***

The basic idea has been used in countless books and films. The media (especially TV), lead by greedy and corrupt people (focus is on one character story wise) turn a very serious real life issue into a circus. This is of course all about ethics.

I liked the look and feel of the movie, a mixture between (fake)live TV broadcast, documentary style interviews and dramatic film footage. I loved the(purposely)cheesy CGI used for the opening of the TV show 'Citizen Verdict'. I actually liked to see Jerry Springer in this - he is winking an eye at himself, which one can either see as distracting or as a bonus. I go for the latter. Of course Springer can't act. He is not an actor, he is a TV show host - which is totally different. The difference between Jerry Springer and the 'real' actors very well counterbalanced by the 'interview' footage. One character seems to be a real-life judge or lawyer, also with no 'acting' abilities - and is very believable and I agree with what he says, as much as I agree with some of the others.

In any case the movie is very far fetched in its basic premise. I no next to nothing about the US justice system (having seen hundreds of courtroom dramas definitely isn't enough) but I can't believe that the scenario is even remotely feasible: people can vote guilty or innocent without any prove that they have even seen one second of the TV show (=trial). Nah...

I also think that the characters of the prosecutor and the defense attorney are very unclear. There are definitely many loose story threads.

The film ends with all characters agreeing that the US justice system as it is is still the best possible. In many a movie I would have thought: come on! A satire and now you are pulling out??? But I agree with the ending: a film cannot be clear enough about its message when it comes to the legal system and death penalty. Yet, I really didn't get the 'point' of the movie. Is the hole system corrupt? Is it just the Jerry Springer character? Whom does he stand for? Armand Assante (the defense attorney) is a hot shot, so he should have known from the start that the whole thing is manipulated, or let's say 'controlled' by someone. The ethical issues, the politics are all oversimplified and the plot threads to fussy. What about the mail prostitute who testified in trial that the victim actually was into S'n'M? Oh yes, he was bought. But a flavor of yet another fuzzy and loose plot thread remains...

two out of four stars: plus: the 'Harry Dean Stanton rule' also applies to Roy Scheider: they never appear in a bad movie.

Almost forgot: the soundtrack is excellent! The songs as well as the orchestral underscore.

I am trying to think of a quality that this movie has that I admire. The concept was weak to start with, the plot abysmally developed, the acting shocking (can't you give a long rant in one take Jerry?), production, even sound far below par.

I am glad that I was watching on DVD so could easily skip straight to the predictable verdict, which I did only out of a morbid curiosity rather than actual interest. We were taking bets on what how the movie would pan out after that, and while technically I feel bound to say that it wasn't predictable, because none of us predicted it quite right, it was nonetheless, very lame.

We really didn't have the stomach for the self-congratulatory epilogue and switched off.