Ambitious and Almost Good

There is a superior basic idea here, and it's about 80% of the way done baking. This could have made it to great if the idea(s) had been bounced around with some other people to work out some of the plot problems and stupid parts. And help with character development; the character development was abysmal. I expect that many people have no idea who some of the characters are. I was half-watching the first time I saw it, and even on the second go round, I wasn't sure who Floppy Hat Chick is, or is supposed to be. The flashbacks and jumps are difficult to identify at first, so the movie does have a random and disjointed feeling to it.

The acting is only okay, and some of the actors flat-out fellate, and that includes a few of the VO actors. The ones that are okay never rise higher than community theatre-level 'okay'. The camerawork is often only average, and there are many instances where the scene/transition plops to the floor in the throes of Fail.

It's sad that this could have been a superior work with a slightly better plot and exposition, a more skilled director, and more competent actors. Based on ambition and potential, I'll go as far as 5/10. And part of that is coming from the unintended humour of the facepalmy moments, like in the opening court bit where the sister is asked if she was adopted, and clarifies that, no, she wasn't -- Dr and Mrs Jenkins were her adoptive parents.

Huh?

Or when the judge announces that the the 'jewellery of your peers' has arrived at a verdict. Srsly?

I really wish this had been better made, because I really want to love it...but I just can't.