JUST MERCY

I give this 🔒🔒🔒and a half out of five.

WARNING: SPOILERS

This movie is the telling of, part of, well-known American civil rights defence lawyer, Bryan Stevenson's career in fighting for justice of wrongly accused death rowers, primarily in the Deep South of America.  

It is a true story.

Set in the late 1980s, Alabama, where race relations are still fraught, (to put it mildly) the focus is on a death-row inmate, Walter McMillan, known as Johnnie D.  Johnnie D is on death row for the alleged murder of an 18 year old blonde, white girl from a 'good family'.  Suffice to say, Johnnie D is black. 

It will be difficult to do this review without spoilers, but I'll do my best.  I know it's a true story, but not everyone may know it...

Bryan and Johnnie D share similar backgrounds in that they grew up in poor black communities.  One is on death row, one made it to Harvard Law School... 

Bryan is of course enthusiastic and idealistic after his internship visiting county prisons.  Bryan has all the youthful passion and dedication needed to properly dig into the illegalities, blatant racism and corruption of the all-white Alabama Police Force and County judiciary, and expose the cover-ups and blackmail for exactly what they are. 

This is really Bryan's and Johnnie D's story, but there are 2 other death-rowers who are involved in bringing the story to life on the big screen, and in my opinion, really heighten the film's excruciating emotional pull: Johnnie's cell-neighbours, Herbert ('Erb) Richardson and Anthony Rae Hinton.

The depiction of race relations in the deep south is certainly nowhere near as graphic or violent as other films (think American History X and Mississippi Burning) in portraying the truly sickening racism, but it is still at the very forefront of this film, seen through the (in)justice system, rather than on the streets.

Be under no misapprehension though, the film is harrowing and intense.  If you do not shed a tear, I question your humanity.

Director, Destin Daniel Cretton, whose other work I have not seen, makes excellent use of every single actor.  Foxx and Michael B Jordan are obvious stand-outs, however it is Rafe Spall as DA Tommy Chapman who gets my top praise. A flawless performance IMHO.  Brie Larsen is also compelling as the Director of Operations for Stevenson's organisation, Equal Justice Initiative. The tight-knittedness and genuine goodness and kindness of Johnnie's local community and his own family is deftly weaved in, and contrastingly, the starkness and brutality of prison is shoved in our face with blunt force.  

Overall, this was an exhausting cinematic experience (in a good way!).  It is difficult to say I "enjoyed" it, given the subject matter, but it is good film.  There are only a few issues that annoyed me: 

*it is overly long and too much time is spent on 'Erb's story when it's really about Johnnie D, but don't get me wrong, I'm glad 'Erb's story was told, but it's very very hard to sit through.

*given the time taken on 'Erb however, at about the 3/4 mark of the film, I feel that the real crux of Johnnie D's story is then rushed and glossed over/wrapped up all too quickly, without showing us the legal arguments/evidence ultimately used in the successful re-hearing of Johnnie D's trial - in a different county, more than 2 hours away from the original County Court where Johnnie D was convicted by a jury of his alleged peers (NB - it was, of course an all-white jury).  I suppose because I am a lawyer by day (and a film enthusiast by night!) this matters to me! I want to see the legal arguments and the use of newly uncovered evidence... Alas, much of that was not included and remember - that is the only reason a new trial/relocation motion was granted, so show us dammit! 

* I also would have liked just at least a few minutes about how Bryan got to Harvard as well as who provided the funding for the Equal Justice Initiative, as everyone (and by the end of the film, there were many, many staff) seemed to be working for free!

Minor complaints really....  Overall, I can highly recommend, but be warned it's long and emotional!

🔒🔒🔒and a half out of five.