Beholden to Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men, it slavishly replicates characters and major set-pieces from that masterpiece: the revelation of the second “unique” knife, the re-enacted race to the door of the “culprit” and “witness”, the reasons for characters switching their verdicts.

Mikhalkov and co-writers Vladimir Moiseyenko and Aleksandr Novototsky use the story to swipe at Russia’s judicial system that urges juries to reach swift verdicts so everyone can make the final train, using schools as deliberation rooms.

Sharp dialogue cuts to the bone of the country’s fears both old (cunning Jews, intellectual middle classes) and new (invading Chechen youths), and Mikhalkov keeps the dialogue, cast and camera moving to fend off staginess.

Flashbacks to the defendants war-ravaged childhood initially seem to have strayed in from another movie, but counterbalance the jurors’ arguments and expand the movie’s scope.

Despite the running time, the seasoned cast’s performances, including Mikhalkov himself as the head juror, keep attention riveted to the proceedings and expert plotting keeps the film speeding along.

But, the film lacks the intellectual rigour of 12 Angry Men, allowing jurors grandstanding emotional monologues before changing their verdicts, and a (literally) late in the day, overheated conspiracy subplot moves the film into disappointingly generic thriller territory.

Enjoyable, well-crafted and fun to watch, but the verdict is: no masterpiece.

Rob Daniel