"Runaway Jury," an adaptation of the novel by John Grisham, tells the story of Nicholas Easter, played by John Cusack (Identity, Serendipity), who attempts to work his way onto the jury of a highly publicized trial between a widow and a major firearm manufacturer.

Once Easter is on the jury, we discover he and his girlfriend Marlee, played by Rachel Weisz (Confidence, About a Boy), are using the jury to bribe both the plaintiff and defense attorneys for a decision in their favor.

However, defense attorney Durwood Cable (Bruce Davison, X-Men) is corruptly controlled by Rankin Fitch, played by two-time Academy Award winner Gene Hackman, who has the expertise, staff and technology to illegally track jurors who would vote in their favor anyway.

The movie turns into a secret battle between Fitch, Easter and company for control over the jurors, until we find out everyone's true motives towards the finale.

playing the prosecuting attorney is also a two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, who becomes the picture's voice of the anti-gun lobby.

The issue at hand is obviously controversial and has for many recent years. "Runaway Jury" is not afraid to share what side of the fence its views are on, which tends to drag the film down a bit.

Anti-gun dialogue tends to be heavy handed and the opposition has moments of rebuttal, but not enough to call the picture fair and balanced.

However, the tension created by director Gary Fleder is well crafted, as well as the film's sense of time. Fleder has big screen works like "Imposter" and "Don't Say a Word" to his credit, but his efforts in television on shows like "The Shield" and "R.U.S.H." make up the bulk of his resume.

Writer Brian Koppelman adapted "Runaway Jury" with convincing dialogue. Even characters tend to get long winded at times, one could believe he or she would have that much to say. Koppelman also penned the films "Knockaround Guys" and "Rounders."

In the past, several of Grisham's novels have been made into feature motion pictures, including "The Pelican Brief," "A Time To Kill" and "The Firm," among others.

Despite over-expressed political views, "Runaway Jury" is a solid courtroom dramatic thriller.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?