Direction: Destin Daniel Cretton
Country: USA
In 2013, Destin Daniel Cretton surprised the world with his debut feature Short Term 12, a gem of a drama based on his own experiences. He made clear that he has a gift to genuinely depict true stories, infusing them with cinematic power. However, his sophomore picture, The Glass Castle (2017), wasn’t so successful. He returns this year with the straightforward Just Mercy, a well-intentioned legal drama that lays bare the multiple injustices and incongruity of the death row.
The film tells the true story of Walter McMillan, an innocent African-American from Alabama, who, after being convicted for the murder of a white teen woman with no evidence, was able to escape the mortal punishment with the help of Brian Stevenson, a freshly graduated Harvard lawyer. By impersonating the latter, Michael B. Jordan was given the opportunity to showcase his versatility after memorable action-packed roles in Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), and Black Panther (2018). In turn, Jamie Foxx impersonates the convict with a low-key posture.
Cretton was able to capture the anguish that comes when fierce prejudice against black men erases every possibility of innocence. In parallel with this, one can observe the distinct case of Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan). He was a former war-vet suffering from PTSD, who, involuntarily, killed a girl in the middle of a crisis.
Never veering into excessive sentimentality, this absorbing courtroom drama denounces pure racial disdain and cynical manipulation of facts. It can be utterly uncomfortable.
