How sad is this?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The cast is picked brilliant, the acting is great and the story totally convincing. I was drawn into the movie, it grabbed me almost in a 3D fashion and it didn't let go till long after I had left the theater. Even when the movie gets to the point where it's most likely to become dull, it kept me totally fascinated due to righteous argumentation's. The movie matters for it argues convincingly that righteousness is the most important value to society. It's what a successful state characterizes. It's the social contract between citizens and state. Thusfar a citizens best chance to righteousness has been in democracies. But it's not a given fact and even vested democracies risk implosion due to injustice. The movie greatly shows the difficulty in defining principles as justice and righteousness and how defending those basic human rights can lead to totally opposite conclusions. I don't envy the jurors that didn't get a chance to go for a compromise and wander what my verdict would have been...

I was very sad to read only rather negative comments here on this movie. I did not expect too much but was truly amazed by it, the way it looks, the top acting, the story that is very modern...'Het Vonnis' has it all. The story is straightforward but gets you in the movie from the very start until the 'verdict'.The movie is full of small new flashes with real Belgian reporters which gives a feel like it really happened.In Belgium Jan Verheyen is considered by many people as a director who makes commercial movies and a bit laughed at for that, very sad. He admits his inspiration comes from classic American movies and this can be felt here.If you are in 3-hour-Romanian-incest-drama's-in-black-and-white you should skip...all the others, go see it!

Most courtroom dramas that hit the European screens, are American movies. Of course, Hollywood has quite a tradition in making good courtroom thrillers. From the genre-defining 'Twelve Angry Men' to modern examples like 'Runaway Jury' or 'A Few Good Men', they all focus on the dramatic events during a courtroom trial. It's films like these that have made sentences like 'Objection, your honour!' familiar to all audiences in the Western world. It is refreshing that Flemish director Jan Verheyen has tackled this genre in his own way. He is mostly known for commercial, mainstream movies aimed at large audiences. 'Het Vonnis' ('The Verdict') is no exception, but there is a difference. This film is more than just entertainment. Verheyen also wants to tell the audience something. He is upset by the way some criminals escape their punishment because of mistakes made by the prosecution. 'Het Vonnis' tells the story of such a mistake. The story setup is brilliant: a man sees his wife and daughter being killed before his eyes. The murderer is found, but not convicted, because his lawyer finds a mistake in the charges: on one of the documents, the signature of the prosecutor is missing. Senseless with grief and anger, the man decides to kill the murderer and let a jury in court decide if he is guilty or not. The trial is as much about the Belgian justice system as about the crime itself. The film has some fine moments. The first few minutes, during which the lead character sees everything he cares about shattered and destroyed, are very good. The director creates intensity with some creative aerial shots and fast focus changes. The courtroom scenes at the end are another highlight. Verheyen chooses to muffle the sound of the judge reading the final verdict, but he shows in an indirect way if the suspect is guilty or not. Another nice creative choice is to not show the murder itself, except by short flashbacks during the trial. Of course, the film will mainly appeal to Belgian audiences. There are some nice shots of Antwerp, and fun cameos by well-known Flemish reporters and experts. Commercial television broadcaster VTM co-produced the film, which is why there are quite a few shots of news reports and popular shows. Verheyen clearly makes his point about the justice system. Sometimes, it is so occupied with following the strict rules, that injustice is the inevitable result. But his suggestion that in Belgium countless murderers, rapists and bank robbers never get convicted because of mistakes, is not correct. The main problem with Belgian justice is that it is inefficient and slow.

based on what I've seen I have to say that I think the movie in general is a little bit banalized... it left me wondering what would of happened if there was added complexity of the retributor NOT being such a perfect/idolized citizen... would he be given the same level of justice?having said this, I haven't seen better monologues (particularly by the defense attorney and the chief prosecutor) in a while... the opportunistic justice minister's role, however short, was also brilliantly displayed... all of which rate this movie as a more than excellent courtroom drama... last but not least, there are some VERY tangible insights in a light of a different culture/view that make me want to recommend this film to anybody who wishes to travel to a different place