12 (2007)

78% of critics liked it
(58 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(46,844 ratings)

When a Russian youth is put on trial for the murder of his adoptive father, it's up to a room full of jurors divided by racism and prejudice to determine the boy's ultimate fate in director Nikita Mikhalkov's loose remake of Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men. At the center of the storm is a broodingly… More When a Russian youth is put on trial for the murder of his adoptive father, it's up to a room full of jurors divided by racism and prejudice to determine the boy's ultimate fate in director Nikita Mikhalkov's loose remake of Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men. At the center of the storm is a broodingly silent foreman (Mikhalkov). As the deliberation grows increasingly tense, a racist Russian cabbie (Sergei Garmash) attempts to sway the vote of a well-dressed television producer (Yuri Stoyanov) by staging a vivid recreation of a gruesome murder scene; an elderly Jewish man (Valentin Gaft) recovers the nightmares of the Holocaust; and a Caucasus surgeon (Sergei Gazarov) is pushed over the edge by a hateful rant about the brutishness of Chechens. Later, after one soft-spoken juror (Sergei Makovetsky) wins the jury over with a heartfelt monologue about intemperance and redemption, the volatile group struggles to settle on a final verdict. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 3 hr.
Directed By: Nikita Mikhalkov
Written By: Nikita Mikhalkov, Alexander Novototsky, Vladimir Moiseenko
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Sep 7, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Jul 14, 2009
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Dan Zak, Washington Post
The film transforms Rose's play into a ballet of sorts. The story is as much about movement as it is about words.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A fascinating, stylish commentary on Russian justice and the universality of prejudice set in that great crucible for great drama in the jury room.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Full of passion and speechifying, 12 is unmistakably Russian in spirit and sensibility, but its themes are universal at their core.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The heated deliberations are a gripping analogy for Russia's turbulent mix of ethnic divisions, corruption, Western influences and idealism.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Overwrought, overlong yet mesmerizing.
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
The tradition of Russian stage acting enriches this satisfying update of Reginald Rose's TV play Twelve Angry Men.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
12 is a mildly interesting exercise in cultural translation, but it's difficult to understand why the film was made.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
I've sampled this core material twice now, and even left to my own devices, I'm still a hung jury.
Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
2 1/2 hours of Russian men, middle-aged and up, stuck in one room, pontificating and pleading and challenging. Yes, that means subtitles, lots of them. Still with me? Congratulations.
Sonny Bunch, Washington Times
Though long-winded and repetitive, there's much to like in Nikita Mikhalkov's movie.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
A surprisingly energetic, kinetic and gripping film, filled with an enviable selection of great character actors.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
An interesting remake of a film that departed from the original nearly as often as it stayed the course.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Unlike Lumet, Mikhalkov doesn't seem to trust 12 angry (or disturbed) men in a room to pull this off.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
The performances, as I say, are wonderful.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Slavic gloom and Russian dukh - a word that can be loosely translated as "cunning spirit" - permeate ...
Keith Cohen, Entertainment Spectrum
There is a lot of material to absorb in one sitting with no breathing room as you must rapidly read the subtitles to keep up with the story.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
Shot in sequence and featuring many long takes, it retains some of the feel of the television original despite the broadening of context ...
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Much of it is done so clumsily that the characters verge on becoming caricatures.
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Those who seek a drama as provocative as it is captivating will find much to enjoy.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
Never known for his restraint, Mikhalkov takes kitschy liberties with the stark drama about a jury deliberating the fate of a minority youth.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Director Nikita Mikhalkov doesn't just remake <i>Twelve Angry Men</i>, he takes it on. He tackles it. He puts it in a headlock and makes it say "Uncle!"
Arash X

Never liked 12 Angry Men that much it was at least a deent flick this one is just another awful remake & what's with that ridiculous ending
Lizzy B

A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men, it is emotionally enthralling and heart-wrenching almost more so than the original. I felt every actor in this film presented the role of their lifetime. In America, this would have been another record setting award winner.