WHAT’S IT ABOUT
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 might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, 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.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
I loved everything about this movie. This is how you tell a true story. No extreme action scenes, no overly dramatic acting, and no lies for filler. A very compelling story that sadly happened less than thirty-five years ago. This is just more proof of how nothing has changed except the year. And as much as I could easily make this all about racism, it’s evident in this country that being poor is equally just as bad. Just Mercy tells the story of Walter McMillian, a Black man falsely accused of a heinous crime and placed on death row before his first trial. Harvard graduate Bryan Stevenson made it his life’s goal to right the wrongs of those incarcerated in Alabama on death row. As I stated before, it’s easy to say how racist the authorities were and still are in Alabama, but it’s so much more than that. The ones in charge (police, District Attorney, etc.) are the real enemies. These people are incredibly corrupt. Usually, I wouldn’t question racism in America. This country was built on it. So when a movie about our justice system hits the theaters, I immediately think it’s about something that occurred a hundred years ago or more. And yes, I know racism still exists, but what I didn’t realize was the degree of hatred that lived within our so-called humane justice system. This is what sets Just Mercy apart from other films of its type. It doesn’t just focus on racism, it focuses on the corruption of power and the determination on both sides. It’s not a fight against the legal system but a fight for the sanctity of the legal system and how it has been distorted by power-mad individuals. This movie proves it doesn’t matter who you are or where you were when whatever happened. If the powers that be want you in prison, you will go to prison. Just pray that you have representation as dedicated as Bryan Stevenson, willing to fight for more than just your irrefutable freedom but our American Justice System.
OUR RATING – A WELL DESERVED 9.5
MEDIA
- Genre – Drama
- Street date
- Digital – March 24th 2019
- DVD/Blu-Ray – April 7th 2019
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 1:85.1
- Sound – English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, English-ADS, Brazilian Portuguese: Dolby Digital
- Subtitles – English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French Brazilian Portuguese
Extras
- Making ‘Mercy’
- This Moment Deserves
- The Equal Justice Initiative
- Deleted Scenes