Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

The Juror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 20, 2025

Brian Gibson's "The Juror" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The only bonus feature on the release is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

“May you live in interesting times.” Some people insist that this is a Chinese expression, a very, very old one. Some people believe that it is an even older British expression, hijacked by the Chinese. However, some people also believe it is neither Chinese nor British nor old. They have argued that it is a very recent expression, made popular by smart manipulators. What is the truth? Whatever it may be, it is an irrelevant detail. The relevant information about the expression, which all of the above people accept, is that it is used as a curse. If one dispatches it in a particular direction, one wishes its recipient a miserable existence.

In Brian Gibson’s film, Annie (Demmi Moore), a single mother and artist, agrees to become a juror in a high-profile mafia case because she wants her life to be a little more interesting. A few days later, she is visited by the Teacher (Alec Baldwin), a top enforcer for the mafia, who, after initially making her believe that he is an art dealer, asks her to manipulate the other jurors and deliver a Not Guilty verdict for his boss, Louie Boffano (Tony Lo Bianco). If Annie does not cooperate, or worse, if she chooses to inform the authorities that she has been targeted by the Teacher, her teenage boy, an enthusiastic biker, will have an unfortunate accident. Then, to help Annie grasp how serious her situation is, the Teacher’s partner, Eddie (James Gandolfini), ‘accidentally’ bumps into her at a local deli and lets her know that she is monitored, everywhere and all the time.

But delivering a Not Guilty verdict seems like an impossible task because the prosecutor has a tape recording of Boffano ordering a hit on a close rival. With such clear evidence that he is in fact guilty, even a hung jury would be an extremely unlikely outcome. However, with the Teacher breathing down her neck, and then her best friend (Anne Heche) unexpectedly committing suicide, Annie goes to work to convince the remaining eleven jurors. Somewhere along the way, Annie also realizes that even if she succeeds, the Teacher is not going to let her resume her previous, boring but safe existence.

Gibson worked with a screenplay handed to him by Ted Tally, one of the hottest screenwriters during the early 1990s, who had adapted George Dawes Green’s bestseller The Juror. (Just a few years earlier, Tally won an Oscar statuette for his adaptation of Thomas Harris’ bestseller Silence of the Lambs, which Jonathan Demme transformed into an international blockbuster). However, it is unclear how much of this screenplay ended on the big screen because Gibson’s camera intentionally captures a lot of feelings and emotions that would have been very difficult to put on paper. Also, in the second half, where the drama intensifies, the visuals become surprisingly diverse. In other words, there are plenty of good reasons to think of Gibson’s film as an original project.

The catalyst of all the excitement is not the trial that shatters Annie’s world. It is the battle of wits that materializes after the Teacher begins pulling Annie’s strings and she accepts her role as a manipulator. Gibson forces the audience to see them as equally skilled players securing results while forcing their targets to accept desired rather than just outcomes. While it lasts, the battle of wits effectively questions whether jury deliberation is as reliable as it is made to be.

Moore and Baldwin are the undisputed stars. However, there are excellent contributions from several other terrific actors. For example, Michael Rispoli is perfectly cast as the mafia boss’ feisty and always suspicious son. Gandolfini easily becomes yet another shady character, too. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, Lo Bianco is perfect as the classic Italian old-timer who runs his criminal organization like a family.

Gibson and director of photography Jamie Anderson shot the exotic footage in Morelo, Mexico. While there is not a lot of it, because it is authentic, it looks great.

The Juror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Juror arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from an older master supplied by Sony Pictures. The majority of the visuals are quite good, at times even very good, boasting pleasing delineation, clarity, and depth. However, there are several sequences with brighter outdoor footage where it is also easy to tell that the master has some predictable limitations. For example, finer nuances are not as clear and natural as they should be, and in backgrounds some shadow nuances are not convincing. I think that on a large screen most viewers will notice that these visuals appear somewhat dated. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. However, grain exposure can be healthier. Color balance is good. Select primaries and nuances can be a tad more vibrant and slightly better balanced, but there are no troubling anomalies. In the future, if the film is redone in 4K, color reproduction will be improved, highlights and shadow nuances will be strengthened, and the dynamic range of the visuals will be better. Image stability is very good. I did not see any distracting age-related imperfections to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Juror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track does not reveal any signs of aging. All dialog is very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. A very active and good soundtrack by James Newton Howard creates plenty of effective dynamic contrasts, too. However, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised to see that the release does not have a 5.1 track. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Juror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Juror. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

The Juror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While quickly heading down a familiar path, The Juror is full of surprising twists and turns, all of which are logical. There is a lot of solid acting in it, too. It is a good film. However, there have been so many like it, it is probably fair to declare that it will be enjoyed the most by fans of its leads, Demmi Moore and Alec Baldwin. This recent Blu-ray release from Australian label Imprint Films is sourced from an old but good master supplied by Sony Pictures. It is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.