Not just another novel-turned-blockbuster

'Runaway Jury' all-star cast, dramatic camera shots keep viewers wanting more

It might seem like the same old thing to make a John Grisham novel into a movie, but an all-star cast and outstanding directing by Gary Fleder ("Don't Say a Word") makes "Runaway Jury" anything but ordinary.

"Runaway Jury," as a movie, is quite different from the story Grisham tells in his book. In the film, a jury decides a case of a widow suing a gun manufacturer for indirectly supplying the gun that a disgruntled ex-employee used to kill her stockbroker husband, instead of deciding a case against a tobacco company.

John Cusack ("Identity") plays Nick Easter, a juror who is instrumental in a plot with his girlfriend Marlee (Rachel Weisz, "Confidence") to attempt to swing the verdict in the case.

Marlee attempts to bribe the top-notch, shady jury consultant for the gun company, Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman, "Behind Enemy Lines"), and the idealistic attorney for the widow, Wendall Rohr (Dustin Hoffman, "Confidence").

The plot, and especially the conclusion, is very heavy-handed in that it is unabashedly pro-gun enforcement. A trite shot showing children playing, laughing, and being carefree suggests that holding gun companies responsible for murders committed by others will keep the children of the world safe from harm.

However, the movie is salvaged and made entertaining and interesting by the combination of strong performances by the actors and actresses. Hackman and Hoffman both are passionate and convincing in their contrasting roles. Hackman, dressed in the finest pinstriped black suits, portrays a greedy, unethical snoop with ample prowess.

Hoffman, often seen spilling on his second-rate suits, plays the idealism of his character with a vulnerability that makes Rohr a believable and more-sympathetic character. Hoffman makes the audience believe that he is human, and that the choice between right and wrong is not an easy one for him to make.

Cusack also is convincing as the likable protagonist, which is essential, as he must become the man his jurors follow and trust. He plays innocence and trustworthiness with ease, as he does in many of his films, such as "Serendipity."

Weisz's performance as the con-artist who puts the bid out on the jury for this trial is commendable, as she shows steely determination and yet a touch of fear and weakness that makes her human, and suggests that there is more to her character than meets the eye.

What makes this movie worth paying the exorbitant price for tickets, however, is the directing and cinematography.

Fleder uses fast-paced editing and sharp, quick cuts throughout the movie to make it more suspenseful and tense.

Throughout the film, the jury is spied upon by Fitch's henchmen, and many photographs and videos are taken of the jurors.

Fleder uses this in making the film by showing different shots through the lens of a camera or frozen in the form of a still photograph. This technique demonstrates the voyeuristic, creepy practices going on behind the scenes in the legal system in the story.

The use of dramatic camera shots, like still photographs, and the contributions of superb actors and actresses make "Runaway Jury" more than just a film about the evil of guns.

Despite the fact that the movie is — at times — overbearing in its message, "Runaway Jury" is a well-crafted, visually striking film that is worth paying the price to see on the big screen.