It fails in comparison not only to original "12 Angry Men", but to many great films by Nikita Mikhalkov himself. I mean the ones he made 25-30 years ago.
"12" is shallow and pretentious at best, but with some rather formidable actor's performances. Through the whole movie you can't get rid of this strange taste in your mouth: director is more concerned how to impress you, rather than to discover the truth. This is really pity since the author still has some ammunition to impress you with, from being an excellent actor himself, to displaying a good craftsmanship here and there. But what's the point?
It might even get an Oscar, though. Well, it's not the first corny and superficial movie in that category, and certainly not the last.
"12" is shallow and pretentious at best, but with some rather formidable actor's performances. Through the whole movie you can't get rid of this strange taste in your mouth: director is more concerned how to impress you, rather than to discover the truth. This is really pity since the author still has some ammunition to impress you with, from being an excellent actor himself, to displaying a good craftsmanship here and there. But what's the point?
It might even get an Oscar, though. Well, it's not the first corny and superficial movie in that category, and certainly not the last.