Destin Daniel Cretton’s 2013 debut “Short Term 12” signaled the arrival of a young new directing talent. What it also did was introduce us to major acting talents as well, such as Brie Larson and Lakeith Stanfield.
Ever since that debut, Cretton has been struggling to find his footing; His 2017 adaptation of “The Glass House” was a dramatically comatose family drama and now he has “Just Mercy,” which has an Oscar-ready December release date and premiered this past September at the Toronto International Film Festival to decent reviews. I wasn’t a fan.
Excerpts from my 9.8.19 review:
“Just Mercy” doesn’t know what it wants to be. Yes, its main intent is to concentrate on the McMillian case, but it also has a knack of switching its focus, unsuccessfully, on some of the other death row inmates at the penitentiary. Those include Rob Morgan as a PTSD-inflicted war veteran, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as a tough guy who may very well be innocent of the crime he was convicted for.”
“Based on Stevenson’s book of the same name, “Just Mercy” has Cretton getting bogged down by heavy-handedness throughout — there are even two unnecessary and over-the-top courtroom speeches which leave a bitter taste during the climax. A real shame, if you ask me, because this is a story worth telling, but not this way and not in the matter and fashion of a ‘90s Oscar-bait movie.”
The legal drama reunites Cretton with Larson for the third time and, in addition, adds talent such as Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Tim Blake Nelson, Rob Morgan, and Rafe Spall.
Official Synopsis:
“A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.”
“Just Mercy” opens limited on Christmas Day before expanding wide on Jan. 17, 2020.