Just because you see a grown man chasing a little girl doesn't mean that he killed her, even though he was the victim of an April Fool's Day prank, and she was discovered later a victim of murder. Academy Award Winning director to be Richard Attenborough plays the wrongly accused here, and wife Cathy O'Donnell is frantic. So frantic that she goes off on his defense attorney Derek Farr, immediately regretting it. But in a weird twist, the prosecuting attorney is Farr's own father, veteran actor Ian Hunter. It's surprising that this type of personal relationship would be permitted in court with the type of conflicts it could create.
Fans of the "Willy Wonka" stories will be fascinated to hear a reference to "Gobstoppers", obviously a real type of British treat. The kids involved in the prank obviously went out of their way to harass complete strangers, and in the case of cab driver Attenborough, nobody saw him leave after the young victim managed to get away from him. The shadow of a man wearing a hat is seen ominously at the listings of the day's cases, giving a hint to the possibility that he was the perpetrator.
Scenes of the jurors indicate that they aren't going to come to a conclusion very easily as to guilt or innocence, and of course the foreman is an obviously pompous blowhard who has an entitled retort to every argument. He even comments on the quality of the free meals provided to the jury! It's a great look into the British legal system of the time, rather pretentious and uppity with its pomp and circumstance, giving a guilty look to the accused as he walks up to the court from a sinister looking staircase. It's an outstanding script with a lot of fantastic detail that subtly makes a mockery out of recent cases that are referenced in the background of this film. Attenborough gives a gentle, worried performance, totally convincing. O'Donnell, Farr and Hunter (who worked more in Hollywood than he did in London) are great support. A very good legal drama that will keep the viewer transfixed, especially in hoping that the real killer of a child will be caught.
Fans of the "Willy Wonka" stories will be fascinated to hear a reference to "Gobstoppers", obviously a real type of British treat. The kids involved in the prank obviously went out of their way to harass complete strangers, and in the case of cab driver Attenborough, nobody saw him leave after the young victim managed to get away from him. The shadow of a man wearing a hat is seen ominously at the listings of the day's cases, giving a hint to the possibility that he was the perpetrator.
Scenes of the jurors indicate that they aren't going to come to a conclusion very easily as to guilt or innocence, and of course the foreman is an obviously pompous blowhard who has an entitled retort to every argument. He even comments on the quality of the free meals provided to the jury! It's a great look into the British legal system of the time, rather pretentious and uppity with its pomp and circumstance, giving a guilty look to the accused as he walks up to the court from a sinister looking staircase. It's an outstanding script with a lot of fantastic detail that subtly makes a mockery out of recent cases that are referenced in the background of this film. Attenborough gives a gentle, worried performance, totally convincing. O'Donnell, Farr and Hunter (who worked more in Hollywood than he did in London) are great support. A very good legal drama that will keep the viewer transfixed, especially in hoping that the real killer of a child will be caught.