it's not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others

I am way, way behind on sharing movie reviews. In no particular order, here are 5 recent flicks I have recently seen, and my opinions about them.

12 Angry Men (1957) - "Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a room, one juror (Henry Fonda) casts considerable doubt on elements of the case. Personal issues soon rise to the surface, and conflict threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide one boy's fate."

Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I was on a date
IMDB: 9.0/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 97%

my IMDB rating: 10/10
AFI: 100 Years ... 100 Movies (original list 1998): nominated

    ... 100 Thrills (2001): #88

    ... 100 Heroes & Villains 2003): No. 28 Hero - Juror No. 8

    ... 100 Cheers (2006): #42

    ... 100 Movies (10th anniversary list 2007): #87

    ... 10 Top 10 (2008): Courtroom Drama - #2

notable quote: "We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's sure."

MPAA rating: non-rated (TV-PG)

directed by: Sidney Lumet

my notes: this is an attorney's law movie. They did almost everything right, and it lays out some very important legal issues in understandable ways. Yes, it takes a while to get there. Yes, some of the characters are pretty rigid stereotypes. But considering that this was released in 1957, are those caricatures or true products of their time in history? Henry Fonda's character is a little hard to like--not smug so much as an annoying devil's advocate--but he is not wrong. "Reasonable doubt" is a big deal. What is reasonable doubt? From Cornell Law School:

Beyond a reasonable doubt is the legal burden of proof required to affirm a conviction in a criminal case. In a criminal case, the prosecution bears the burden of proving that the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. This means that the prosecution must convince the jury that there is no other reasonable explanation that can come from the evidence presented at trial. In other words, the jury must be virtually certain of the defendant’s guilt in order to render a guilty verdict. This standard of proof is much higher than the civil standard, called “preponderance of the evidence,” which only requires a certainty greater than 50 percent.

    "Screenwriter Reginald Rose saw American society as crumbling amongst itself, and 12 Angry Men stands as a warning to Americans: remember your responsibilities, stay unified, and be understanding with one another, or the nation will fall."

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Picture—Fonda, Rose

• Best Director—Lumet

• Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium—Rose

Previously reviewed here
overall: recommended

The Bodyguard (1992) - "Best-selling pop diva Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) has a stalker whose obsession has risen to the level of disturbing threats. At the urging of her manager (Gary Kemp), Rachel hires former secret service agent Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) as her bodyguard. Initially resented and treated with disdain for his hard-nosed security procedures, Farmer soon becomes an integral part of Rachel's inner circle. As they spend more time together, client and protector become closer still."
Source: I borrowed the public library
I watched it because: I am in a Kevin Costner phase
IMDB: 6.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 34% Audience: 64%

my IMDB rating: 8/10

notable quote: "'I've been watching you all night from across the room.'

    'Why don't you go back there. Keep watching.'"

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Mick Jackson

my notes: seen it before, will probably see it again. It's not a great film, but a symbol of an era that has passed.

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Music, Original Song—David Foster, Linda Thompson "I Have Nothing"

• Best Music, Original Song—Jud Friedman, Allan Rich "Run to You"

Previously reviewed here
overall: recommended

Knives Out (2019) - "The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure—everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I was on a date
IMDB: 7.9/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 97% Audience: 92%

my IMDB rating: 6/10

notable quote: "And a little bird has told me, how should I put this delicately? You have a regurgitative reaction to mistruthing."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Rian Johnson

my notes: this is a one-and-done movie for me. Don't need to see it again. Not that it's in the same category as M. Night Shyamalan flicks. More like it was an effort to watch it to begin with, getting over the pretentiousness and profoundly irritating characters and/or actors (Toni Collette and Don Johnson...solid feh), and it's just not worth doing all that again. 

Academy Award nominee: Best Original Screenplay—Rian Johnson

Previously reviewed here
overall: not exactly recommended

Revolver (2005) - "Jake Green is a hotshot gambler, long on audacity and short on common sense. Jake served seven years in jail for a crime he didn't commit after taking the rap for mean crime boss Dorothy Macha. Upon his release he takes on Macha in a private casino game, causes humiliation, and wins. While Macha puts out an order on Jake's life, Jake meets brothers Avi and Zach who protect him and plot to take Macha down."
Source: streamed on Amazon Prime
I watched it because: I was on a date
IMDB: 6.4/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 15% Audience: 56%
my IMDB rating: 2/10

notable quote: "Shine on, you crazy diamond. 'Cause we're just monkeys wrapped in suits, begging for the approval of others."

MPAA rating: R

directed by: Guy Ritchie

my notes: the kind of movie that you've already forgotten about, moments after it's over

overall: not recommended

Swing Vote (2008) - "Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a beer-slinging loser, has one bright spot in his life: his precocious daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll), who takes care of them both. However, on Election Day, Molly sets off an unforeseen chain of events that results in the race for the presidency coming down to just one vote: her father's."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from the public library
I watched it because: I was in Kevin Costner mode
IMDB: 6.1/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 38% Audience: 41%
my IMDB rating: 3/10

notable quote: "If you'd met my mother, you'd understand."

MPAA rating: PG-13

directed by: Joshua Michael Stern

my notes: the daughter is described as "precocious" but I would phrase it more like "obnoxiously ill-mannered", and she snarks her way through the movie. Lots of recognizable figures, Stanley Tucci has a good turn, and Costner is as good at drunk-ass loser as he is at anything else—but that doesn't make it worth seeing.

overall: not recommended

[the title quotation is from 12 Angry Men]