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Movie Review: Just Mercy

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Did I watch Just Mercy mostly because it was all over Instagram? Yes. Was it Michael B. Jordan that pushed me over the edge? Yes.

But the peer pressure was well deserved: this movie is high quality, well-made, and very moving. It took very little screen time to get me rooting for the main characters. Not to mention, my family and I have done a little research since we watched it, and as far as we have seen, it is scary accurate to what really happened.

Just Mercy is based on a true story. It follows lawyer Bryan Stevenson and focuses on his work with one client, Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian, who is on death row. The storytelling is beautiful, as is the cinematography. Although this story is dipping its toes in the “murder mystery” genre, the filmmakers included zero graphic imagery, which I appreciate so much; that would not have added to this movie. I am very happy that they fell back on the story’s depth and suspense, and didn’t even think about unnecessary jump scares.

There is a good bit of strong language, in case that bothers anyone. Not terrible for a PG-13 movie though. (If you watch Marvel, it won’t be any worse than what you’re used to–unfortunately, in my opinion, but here we are.) It is pretty intense too, simply due to the story and content.

Another thing that helped sell me on this movie? The acting! These were raw and emotional performances–the kind that make you feel almost embarrassed to be watching, because they feel so incredibly personal. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx truly outdid themselves. (And however Brie Larson stayed on top of that beautiful southern drawl, I could listen to it all day.)

One last thing before I talk about Just Mercy‘s accuracy: After Tolkien came out, I heard several people complaining that the movie sidelined Tolkien’s catholic faith, or even ignored it. I think Just Mercy should get some credit for doing the opposite and not shying away from the characters’ Christianity. They talk about faith, they are shown in church, we see them pray together. Just Mercy isn’t a “Christian movie,” but they portrayed the faith of the characters accurately.

And speaking of accuracy, one of my favorite things about Just Mercy is how close they stuck to the true story. I was shocked when I started researching. (And the actors look surprisingly like the real people they portray, for once!) Below are the resources I’ve found in my albeit limited research, however,

Please note: I do not recommend looking at these until after you watch Just Mercy–it’s so accurate that research will, in fact, spoil the movie!

The movie shows a re-make of the “60 Minutes” story that was done on the McMillian case. This Youtube video posted by the 60 Minutes channel is the original.

This PDF is a transcript of a judiciary hearing where Bryan Stevenson gave statements describing some of the details surrounding his work with Walter McMillian. (Stevenson’s comments on McMillian’s story are on pages 21-27.)

And if Michael B. Jordan’s opening scene in Just Mercy got your attention, you’ll probably be interested in this video, in which Bryan Stevenson himself tells how that scene is almost entirely true–although this video is from years before the movie’s release.

If you’ve seen Just Mercy or know of other real-life resources, let me know in the comments! (And yes, I do plan to read Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy–don’t worry. It’s just that the library hasn’t yielded it up yet. I’ll have to fight several family members for a turn with it anyway, so I’m posting this review now.)

In conclusion, this movie has 10/10 from me. Would recommend.

Stories

A Spoiler-Free Review of ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’

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You a Star Wars fan?  Considering going to see Solo?  My dear friend got me a ride to the theater yesterday, so here’s my thoughts:

We had high expectations for this movie, before anyone knew anything about it.  Meddling with a character like Han Solo was incredibly dangerous.  Did they pull it off?  I’m not so sure.

I walked into the theater, hoping they just wouldn’t do this one thing.  And less than five minutes into the two-hour movie, they did it.  I was still willing to give it a shot, but I don’t think they redeemed themselves.

Considering they were replacing Harrison Ford, they picked a great actor.  Alden Ehrenreich is good at what he does, and I think he did a phenomenal job with what he was given.  The acting was not at all a deal-breaker for me; my complaints are with the writing.  The characters all felt shallow, most of them felt completely unnecessary, the story-line felt rushed, and the ending dissolved into a messy web of unexplained plot-twists; not to mention, it did not mesh well with the already-existing Star Wars galaxy.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t regret buying that ticket!  It was entertaining and funny; as a stand-alone action movie, it was pretty well done.  The fight scenes were cool–twirling fantasy weapons and throwing them at each other–and I enjoyed all the flying.  I also approve of a certain, large “living thing” that they bump into (almost literally) while they’re making the you-know-what.  I love that kind of thing in Star Wars–things with lots of eyes, and tentacles, and an insatiable appetite.  That’s what we watch sci-fi for!  Sadly, I found most of that sequence confusing and anticlimactic.

It just did not say Star Wars to me.  If you are going to mess with something that classic and well-loved, at least respect the characters involved!  I actually came home and asked my parents if George Lucas was dead–because why would any living storyteller let people botch their characters like this?

My big complaint?  Han Solo was too heroic.  Look at how he behaves at the beginning of A New Hope.  (Han shot first–am I right??)  In his backstory, Han Solo should be a lying, thieving, mercenary scoundrel, right?  But in Solo, Han was this sincere, super conscientious, overly naive young man, that switched into “smug Han Solo” mode every time there was a snarky line.  It was almost unbearable.

Chewbacca delivered pretty well, but he certainly didn’t get the interesting backstory we all wanted–we still know nothing about him!  I can only think of one added character I really liked.  The antagonist was the lamest attempt at an SW villain to ever fall short of Darth Vader.  Lando Calrissian is the only character I’m almost perfectly happy with (and even he had some cringe-worthy moments).

So my bottom line is this:

If you have two and half spare hours, $5 burning a hole in your pocket, and a hankering for an action movie (explosions, sarcasm, sci-fi beasts, some good blaster-action), there’s no better way to spend your afternoon.

But if you’re a fan of the original trilogy, and you’re looking for a nostalgic ride and a more complete understanding of your old friends, I think you’ll be disappointed.