It's a bit difficult to judge a film like "Just Mercy". On one hand, it tells a true story that deserves to be told. On the other hand, it breaks no new cinematic ground in doing so and as such may come off as a bit "on the nose" for more ardent movie fans.
For a very basic overview, this film tells the story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man on death row in Alabama awaiting his execution date. One day, recently-graduated Harvard lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) arrives in the Deep South with hopes of setting up an institution to help such individuals. Stevenson immediately concludes--via a lack of hard evidence and flimsy eyewitness testimony--that McMillian is assuredly innocent, and thus begins a campaign to free him from his death sentence.
There are a good amount of positives in "Just Mercy", with the overall story itself being the largest and most worthwhile. Basically, this is a story of injustice towards the black community of Mobile, Alabama. While McMillian is eventually freed, the fact that it takes such a herculean effort is the film's proof of institutional racism.
One scene in particular also stands out, in which an inmate not as fortunate as McMillian is escorted to the electric chair chamber and put to death. This is perhaps the most harrowing depiction of that process I have ever seen put to film. One of the few truly visceral moments in the viewing experience.
Of course, therein lies the biggest "problem" with "Just Mercy": it's exactly the type of movie you think it is. Institutional police and community racism from the white community towards the black community. There are no wrinkles, no surprises, simply that and only that. From a strictly human-interest perspective, one probably shouldn't need anything further to justify a film's existence or overall quality. From a cinematic perspective, though, it's a story that has been told numerous times over the past decade or so. So for anyone looking for new themes or takes in their film-watching experience, they may be a little disappointed here.
Overall, I think one's ranking of "Just Mercy" comes down to why they watch movies in the first place and where one might be on that journey. If the goal is to be challenged in some way, or consider something from a new vantage point, this one may leave something to be desired (if still being "solid" in a filmmaking sense). If simply taking the themes and characters at face value and not trying to dissect the overall experience, one will probably bump the star rating a few higher than myself. It just depends on personal viewing tendencies.
For a very basic overview, this film tells the story of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man on death row in Alabama awaiting his execution date. One day, recently-graduated Harvard lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) arrives in the Deep South with hopes of setting up an institution to help such individuals. Stevenson immediately concludes--via a lack of hard evidence and flimsy eyewitness testimony--that McMillian is assuredly innocent, and thus begins a campaign to free him from his death sentence.
There are a good amount of positives in "Just Mercy", with the overall story itself being the largest and most worthwhile. Basically, this is a story of injustice towards the black community of Mobile, Alabama. While McMillian is eventually freed, the fact that it takes such a herculean effort is the film's proof of institutional racism.
One scene in particular also stands out, in which an inmate not as fortunate as McMillian is escorted to the electric chair chamber and put to death. This is perhaps the most harrowing depiction of that process I have ever seen put to film. One of the few truly visceral moments in the viewing experience.
Of course, therein lies the biggest "problem" with "Just Mercy": it's exactly the type of movie you think it is. Institutional police and community racism from the white community towards the black community. There are no wrinkles, no surprises, simply that and only that. From a strictly human-interest perspective, one probably shouldn't need anything further to justify a film's existence or overall quality. From a cinematic perspective, though, it's a story that has been told numerous times over the past decade or so. So for anyone looking for new themes or takes in their film-watching experience, they may be a little disappointed here.
Overall, I think one's ranking of "Just Mercy" comes down to why they watch movies in the first place and where one might be on that journey. If the goal is to be challenged in some way, or consider something from a new vantage point, this one may leave something to be desired (if still being "solid" in a filmmaking sense). If simply taking the themes and characters at face value and not trying to dissect the overall experience, one will probably bump the star rating a few higher than myself. It just depends on personal viewing tendencies.