Displaying items by tag: Chris Messina

JUROR #2

US, 2024, 114 minutes, Colour.

Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, Zoe Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, J.K.Simmons, Cedric Yarborough, Amy Aquino, Gabriel Basso.

Directed by Clint Eastwood.

A Clint Eastwood film. The multi-Oscar-winning director made this film when he was turning 93. A strong acting career, a musician, and then a director as he turned 40, and the extraordinary variety of themes, principally westerns, police dramas, psychological dramas, American history, the music…

As with one of his key moral-themed films, Gran Torino, this film is rather small-scale, from the American suburbs. But, as with many, it is a film of reality and conscience.

Nicholas Hoult plays Justin, a reformed alcoholic, married to the teacher (Zoe Deutch) who helped him in recovery, expecting a baby. Then he is called to jury duty, wanting out because of the imminent pregnancy but, as with other jurors who protest, is compelled to serve.

The case concerns the death of a woman, on the highway at night, her body down the cliff face. The accused is her partner, a violent man, drug convictions, and all the evidence against him, an argument in the bar, his pursuing her, the dark night.

There is an interesting supporting cast. Toni Collette is the determined prosecutor, believing in the guilt, but also involved in campaigning for political election. The defence lawyer, sympathetic to the man accused, is played by Chris Messina. Kiefer Sutherland plays a friend who runs the AA meetings and offers advice. J.K.Simmons is a retired policeman who decides to investigate aspects of the case himself.

But, in this setting, there are complications for Justin, juror #2. He realises that he was in the bar that night, remembers some of the interchange, was tempted to drink but didn’t, drove home disturbed, hit a deer on the road, had not thought about this afterwards. As he listens, disturbed, beginning to question what had happened that night, pressured by the discussions of the jurors, sensitive to his wife and the imminent birth, interactions with the prosecutor, the members of the jury going as a group to the site of the death…

It is interesting to see that Clint Eastwood after so many films has decided to go for a smaller scale drama, a look at family life, interactions and a small town, the significance of the law and jury duty and decisions, the conscience of the prosecutor who had a fixed opinion on guilt but is challenged by the lawyer for the defence and an interview with the accused, challenged to do her own investigations.

Justin is also challenged in his conscience and makes decisions. So, a challenge to the audience as well, sympathies, justice, conscience, extenuating circumstances, and Clint Eastwood leaving what could be his final film with a conscience-challenge to his audience.

1. The films of Clint Eastwood? Themes of justice, crime, police? Filmed in his 90s?
2. The Georgia setting, homes, the courts, bars, the countryside, the highway, the scene of the death? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Justin Kemp, his marriage, pregnant wife, the loss of earlier babies, the third trimester, his concern? The gradual revelation of his life, alcohol, the accident, rehabilitation and AA, the courts and social work, teaching, meeting his wife, the marriage? His reform, going to AA meetings, the encouragement of Larry Lasko? The chance encounter with the DEA?
4. The case, the accused, in the court, his manner, the flashbacks, his reputation, drug dealing, tattoos, his girlfriend, drinking in the bar, the argument, following her outside, the altercation, her leaving in the rain, his driving away? The evidence against him? The patrons videoing the altercation, played in court? His reputation? Driving away, the identification by the old man?
5. Justin, called to jury duty, his background of writing articles, not wanting to be away from his wife, the judge ordering him to stay, the other jurors and objections overruled? His sitting in the court, listening to the case, place in times, the beginnings of the flashbacks? The cumulative effect of the flashbacks, his reason for being in the bar, not drinking, upset, driving away, lack of attention, hitting what he thought was the deer, his looking around, driving away, no report? The issue of the repairs to the car and Faith checking out possible suspects, the visit to the house, Justin’s wife and her testimony?
6. The skills of the prosecution, her determination, personality, interactions with the defence counsel, her ambitions, the interviews, politics and her role? Her manner in the court, assured, convinced of guilt? The contrast with the defence counsel, his manner, presentation, the arguments, cross examinations? The role of the judge?
7. The effect on Justin, his conscience, his talking with the Larry? Larry giving the worst possible scenario? Later meeting with Larry, issues of conscience?
8. The personalities of the jurors, the jury taking charge in managing the discussions, the angry man and the death of his brother, condemnation of the accused? The variety of personalities, age, the discussions, the medical student and her analysis of the wounds?
9. The pressure on Justin, to protect himself, fairness to the accused being innocent? His raising questions after the almost unanimous decision? The range of discussions, angers, shifts of attitude, questions, the revival reliability of the old man and his identifying the accused? The weather, hit run? The interactions amongst themselves, the interactions with Justin?
10. The surprise that the verdict did not coming quickly? Justin, going home, reassurances for his wife, the tensions, her asking the truth?
11. The request to visit the site, the strictures, in the bus, the angry juror and his eye on Justin, analysing the situation, the pressure on Justin? The need for a verdict?
12. The audience surprise at the verdict of guilty? Justin absent from the reading, being with his wife, the birth? The result for the prosecutor, defence, the prisoner himself, his declarations?
13. Faith, the discussions with the defence, his pleading that the accused was not a murderer, the issue of the juror, former policeman, his contributions, going to the scene of the death, aware that Justin was there, his collecting all the documents about repairs? Including Justin’s? Justin contriving to drop the documents, the consequences, the former policeman dismissed? Justin to stay?
14. Faith, her checking out the repairs, the interview with Justin’s wife, the aftermath of the decision, her discussions with Justin outside? The meeting with the accused and the defence present, her checking whether she believed him guilty or not?
15. Her success, her role as DA? Her conscience, justice?
16. The audience’s attitude toward Justin, saving himself, the guilty verdict, his attitude towards the accused?
17. The final moment of the film, the knock on the door, faith present, the focus on Justin? His wife and the baby? The future?

I.S.S.

US, 2023, 95 Minutes, Colour.

Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr, Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, Pilou Asbaek.

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

I.S.S. stands for international space station. The film takes place in the near future, building on the rapport between Russia and the United States after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The audience accompanies two new appointees to the station, played by John Gallagher Jr and Oscar winner for West Side Story, Ariana DeBose. She is involved in medical studies. They meet the American commander, played by Chris Messina, and three Soviet astronauts. They have been trained to survive on the space station and to learn each other’s language to communicate.

The premise of the drama is that war breaks out on earth, each team receives a message to beware of the others and to take over the spacecraft. What follows is some drama, conflict, deceptions, some violent outbursts of mistrust.

This is a film for those who enjoy films in space, thinking back to 2001, A Space Odyssey, and through the decades to more recent films like Gravity, Ad Astra, First Man…

1. The title, international Space Station, the initial explanations, bonds between Russia and the US, collaboration in space, scientific and medical investigations?
2. The plausibility of the plot, the reality of space stations, Soviet and American alliances, the possibility of war, nuclear disaster and consequences?
3. The visuals of the space station and shuttle, the interiors, the exteriors, floating through space, the overview of earth? The musical score?
4. Entering into the action, Kira and Christian, the shuttle, their training, English-language, Russian language? Christian and his talk about his family? The arrival, the welcome, adjusting, speaking English, the attempts in Russian? Gordon Barrett, in charge, personality, the welcome, his relationship with moronic? The two Russians, personalities, skills, Liosha and Kira and their shared interest in medical research, the animal specimens, their deaths?
5. The work in collaboration, friendliness?
6. Kira seeing the eruptions, the vastness, each side receiving messages to take charge, the Americans hesitating, the Russians in action?
7. The conflict and strategies, the Russians, stating the antenna was broken, Gordon going out, no breakage, the loss of communications, his going into space, Nikolai and his control, Liosha and his change of heart, bringing Gordon back?
8. Weronika, the relationship with Gordon, her upset, her getting Kira on side, to save the new medical research, Kira feeling betrayed, Christian and the attack, her confronting the Russians, the news of Gordon’s death, upset and anger, Christian hitting her, her death? Gordon’s arrival back, grief?
9. Christian, talking about his family, taking the research, preparing the shuttle, curate discovering this, the confrontation? The fighting with Nikolai, Nikolai and his sense of duty, the struggle, suspension, each killing the other?
10. Liosha and Kira remaining, having to bond, preparing to leave – and not knowing where they would land or what the future will be?
11. An addition to space exploration films, memories of Cold War, Cold War reigniting, conflicts, sense of duty, loyalties?