In many ways, “The Juror” should be a run-of-the-mill procedural drama. After all, its transparent plot and structure offer little in the form of surprise, and the courtroom setting is hardly classifiable as idiosyncratic. Yet, despite its rather predictable familiarity, Hong Seung-wan's narrative evades tiresome tropes skilfully, and manages to breathe an ample amount of life into a bled dry concept. Loosely based on Korea's first trial by jury in 2008, this comedic drama is likely to draw instant comparisons to Hollywood efforts such as “12 Angry Men,” and whilst it might not nail its execution as well as its '50s equivalent, still provides plenty of entertainment.
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Story wise, the movie follows the trial of Kang Doo-shik (Seo Hyun-woo), a middle-aged partially disabled man accused of murdering his own mother. Prior to the trial, he had confessed, but once unable to recall the events of the night of the crime, changes his plea in court, unsure as to whether he committed the offence or not. Thus, the eight chosen civilians, together with the resolute judge Kim Joon-gyun (Moon So-ri) have to reexamine the case, carefully ensuring they avoid making a fateful error.
Initially, proceedings seem simple. Purportedly damning evidence is put forward, the defendant outwardly appears guilty, and the public jury seem entirely unconvinced of any chance of innocence. That is until Kwon Nam-woo (Park Hyung-sik), a failing businessman, casts doubt on the entire case after an unlikely encounter with the supposed criminal. He fails to cast a definitive guilty vote, consequently forcing a crime-scene inspection, and drives his juror colleagues to probe deeper into the “sloppy investigations,” much to the dismay of the prosecution. Soon, opinions change, fabrications come to light, and a once plain-sailing hearing becomes a trial laden in controversy.
Unfortunately, as previously touched upon, “The Juror” suffers from an all too predictable plot. Although the case itself is exciting enough, audiences are not foolish enough to suspect things will be wrapped up within the first half of the film's runtime, so can likely foresee that the dim-witted, earnest Nam-woo will cloud the verdict in some way. Therefore, one would find themselves anticipating a large chunk of the twists and reveals, disrupting the overall viewing experience. Furthermore, its sentimental message of ensuring that truth always perseveres is pleasant in theory, but reduces the judicial system as incompetent in execution to allow the doltish everyman figure of Nam-woo drive the point home and open their perceivably stubborn minds. Hence, it is reasonably difficult to truly buy the story as believable, whether intentional or not, and no character stands out as particularly endearing other than the clownish fresh-faced protagonist.
However, despite the poor characterisation of the ensemble, the acting shown throughout is perfectly serviceable. Particularly Park Hyung-sik stands out as the young businessman Nam-woo, giving his character a youthful zip, and juvenile charisma. Aided by his boyish looks, Park moulds a portrayal seamlessly convincing in his naive bullishness, along with some convincing passion for his stint on the jury. Similarly, Seo Hyun-woo performs astutely as Kang Doo-shik, infusing his characterisation with a balanced anguish, of which is subtle enough to be smart, but obvious enough to allow his role as the confused accused to translate to audiences naturally.
Continuing, from a technical perspective “The Juror” is unremarkable, but still yields some interesting distinctions. Most prominently, the grand, spacious courtroom is a marked change from the muggy, damp, tightly enclosed apartment from which the death of Kang's mother takes place, enabling audiences to feel genuinely shocked when the civilians are granted access to the crime scene. Moreover, the elaborate, fanfare-like score is amusing too, giving scenes a sensationalised, hyperbolic sense of drama. Admittedly, such rambunctious flourishes of brass are rather farcical when taken out of context, but work well here at brightening scenes which otherwise would be mundanely unnecessary.
To conclude, Hong Seung-wan mostly misses the mark with “The Juror,” appearing unsure of whether he wishes to make something full of over-the-top humour, or genuinely quite poignant in its messaging, and ultimately achieving neither of the two. It does have its moments of both striking revelation and laugh-out-loud hysterics (although both are fleeting), rendering the director's debut effort as mildly gratifying, but nonetheless forgettable.
