The Last Letter (2004) User Reviews

Enjoyable low budget film

[jnor · 2 July 2007]

This is a really good piece of work. Its not what you would call a roller coaster ride of suspense or action , but it does make you think. Plus it has a twist ending to die for. Very original.

The story is that of A jury in the deliberation room about to come to a conclusion on the guilt or innocence of accused serial killer Jack Hamiliton. The Killer has claimed 14 victims in an extreme method. First he seems to have no particular mold for who to pick- Man, woman,child,the elderly, Black, white or even handicapped. For this guy anyone will do.

He first paralyzes the victim via injection then drains the blood from their bodies. Basically the victim watches as they bleed to death and can't do a thing to stop it.

The Jury is bent on the guilt of Mr. Hamilton all except the Jury Foreman Mr.Griffith (Willam Forsythe of "The Devils Rejects") Who thinks that its a possibility that Hamiliton is actually innocent. He presents facts to the other members of the Jury- But he seems to be bringing more than just facts to the tables...but his own Ideas and speculations.

Ms. Olvia Toney (Yancy Butler of "Witchblade") begins having a problem with Griffiths methods and it leads to confrontation.

The plot is good though the story does move slowly in the beginning. The dialog carries the film.

The characters seem stereotypical and cookie cutter but this actually plays a big part into the story.

The acting is good on almost all parts - I have always like Forsythe as he manages to bring his intimidating presence to yet another film. This guy can bring the temperature in any room down 10 degrees.

This was shot during the height of Yancy Butler's problems and perhaps it shows in some of her delivery. Things are too dramatic and over pronouced at many times...Almost as if (speculation here) she was doing so to avoid slurring. I love Yancy's work and acting and she is by far one of my favorite actresses so saying that isn't easy. The final scenes with her though are riveting and she does an outstanding job with them. All in all this is a wonderful film and I very much recommend it to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries and or courtroom dramas.

This 'movie' is awful.

[molly-crowther · 1/10 · 19 July 2007]

This is a terrible, terrible movie. I like bad movies, but I couldn't even sit through this piece of trash. All of the actors (or should I say 'over-actors'?) were terrible caricatures of characters in Twelve Angry Men, the plot is trite (they probably stole a good part of it from CSI or something), and the flashbacks of the murders are terribly shot and filtered with something yellow so they are also physically hard to watch. Unless you have watched every other movie ever made, for Pete's sake don't get this one. If you're looking for jury drama, go with the original version of Twelve Angry Men instead. And if you're looking for an actual psychological thriller, there are hundreds better than this one.

Pass this one by

[sparktom · 2/10 · 6 December 2007]

I'll give a "last letter" here ... "D-," a grade that misses "F" only because I HAVE seen worse. Rarely.

Bad script, bad acting, bad everything. "Twelve Angry Men," this is not. Yet, the writer/director somehow thought he'd weave a tale that takes place around a juror's table and VO sepia flashbacks involving the case. Not a respected device for exposition, and this film illustrates why. Not only do twists seem like cheats (i.e. the audience had no shot of discovering it,) but they're just unbelievable to start with.

Stiff, wooden lines do nothing to further the careers of unknowns and past-prime actors here. The ending, unsatisfying and vapid, shows the writer's belief that we'll buy into anything.

Best Movie I Have Seen In A Long Time!!!

[brockhull1976 · 10/10 · 14 October 2007]

I saw this movie last night and i am still amazed by it just wonderful. The story the actors all in my book is about the best you can get. I would recommend this movie to everyone who likes murder drama and court proceeding. Once again one of the best movies i have seen in a LONG TIME. The previous post I don't know what they watched but it sure was not this movie.I give it a 10 EXCELLENT.The way William Forseyt portrays his role is just amazing. Its as if he has played that certain role all of his life. I read other reviews say that it reminded them of 12 angery men. I found that in some ways yes and in a lot of ways not. For one 12 angery men does not have the surprise ending like this movie. Like I say worth renting and watching. After I write this i plan on watching it with my wife again. AMAZING MOVIE. I would also like too see a part two.

really good film

[BigD-4 · 8/10 · 23 April 2007]

Just saw a pre-release screening of the film, and it's really good. You can tell they didn't have a lot of money to make it, but it's very well acted and the story rocks! It starts out a little slow, but it's worth the wait to see all the cool twists at the end. Yancy Butler delivers in this thing, and William Forsythe is his usual sinister self. But even the smaller roles are well done. Looks like the writer/director Russell Gannon is staying busy. Definitely want to check out the other movies he's got in post-production. The blog says this film is coming out on DVD in late-June. I wish they would post some pictures from the set. Especially of Yancy Butler?

One of best jury films

[dmans-899-510846 · 10/10 · 26 March 2017]

This is one of the best legal drama films I have ever seen. The suspense is palpable & keeps you wondering where this story is taking you. Excellent acting by almost everyone. Though not a fan of Yancy Butler, despite her problems she managed to pull her role through. I really highly recommend this film. But you need to concentrate entirely on the story to get it. Loved it enough to own it on DVD to watch again. Please give this a try - you will be rewarded for your patience.