Richard Jewell (2019) Review

Directed by

Clint Eastwood

Although I have some serious issues with how this story is told and portrayed, it is undeniably an amazing portrait of a complicated true story that needed to be told.

Richard Jewell is the latest film from the neverending career of Clint Eastwood, who seems to secretly put out a new film or two each year despite the fact he is fast approaching his 90th birthday.  Over the last 15 years or so, his career has leaned more towards spotlighting true stories that need to be told (Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Invictus, J. Edgar, American Sniper, Sully, The 15:17 to Paris).  You can add this film to that list as it tells the story of an average man that wants to be a police officer a little too much.  Along the way, he runs security at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and discovers the bomb that goes off in Centennial Park, saving many people from injury and death.  However, he soon finds himself in the cross hairs of the investigation as it is suspected he planted the bomb so he could be the hero.

Richard Jewell is portrayed by Paul Walter Hauser, who is becoming more and more of a known commodity in Hollywood after memorable roles in critically-acclaimed films the last few years (I, Tonya, BlacKkKlansman).  After looking at side-by-side photographs of the two, it is obvious he is cast because of his uncanny resemblance to the real Jewell, however he earns it beyond the lookalike appeal.  His portrayal of the soft-spoken, quirky, awkward security guard is the heart and soul of the film.  The best scenes in the movie are the interactions Jewell has with his lawyer Watson Bryant, portrayed by Sam Rockwell who has been at the heart of awards season the last two years.  He might be better in Richard Jewell than he was in his Oscar-winning role in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.  He is definitely better than he was in his head-scratching nomination last year for Vice.  However, the performance getting all the buzz is Kathy Bates as Richard's mother Bobi.  Bates always is strong in everything she does, and this is no different.  These three spend much of the film fighting against what feels like insurmountable accusations in a way that is subtle and authentic.

There is only one villain in this story: the terrorist who actually planted the bomb in Centennial Park that killed two and injured over 100.  However, where my problems start with this film is how hard the filmmakers work to vilify others involved in the story.  There is FBI agent Tom Shaw, portrayed by Jon Hamm.  Agent Shaw was on site when the bomb was discovered and exploded and then heads up the investigation.  He is portrayed as someone whose guilt over allowing this event to happen has forced him to lash out and attack the one person who did their job in Richard Jewell; falsely accusing him with almost no evidence and destroying his life in an attempt to replace Jewell as the hero.  Then there is the most problematic story arc of the film.  Meet Kathy Scruggs (portrayed by Olivia Wilde): a newspaper reporter that is the most morally bankrupt person you can think of.  We first meet her cussing out the newsroom for being jealous of her superior skills at sniffing out a story.  When she is in the park during the bombing, she shows no concern for the safety of anyone, but instead dreams of how great of a story she can write when the bomber is discovered.  She will do anything for a story, and I mean anything.  She feels like an over-exaggerated caricature of a sleazy, ambulance-chasing reporter.  It is so unbelievable that when they try to redeem her character by the end of the film, it feels forced and disingenuous, while also being incomplete and unfinished.  These are our bad guys.  As Sam Rockwell's character states, Richard Jewell is being attacked by the two most powerful entities in our country: the U.S. government and the media.  The filmmakers make sure we know who we should hate.

What made a film like Bombshell so effective is the fact that is was able to tell a story intertwined with politics without making about politics.  My primary problem with Richard Jewell is they take a story that has nothing to do with politics and let an obvious political bias shine through.  Law enforcement cares more about the narrative than being right.  The media is the enemy of the American people, willing to crucify anyone for anything, whether it is based on fact or not.  The right-wing conservative bias of the filmmakers is so evident that it distracts from the telling of a truly powerful and important story.  I felt the same way about BlacKkKlansman last year which was guilty of the same thing but on the other side of the political spectrum.  Tell the story and let us think.  Don't tell us what to think.

Just like BlacKkKlansman last year, I feel the positives of the compelling story outweigh the negatives of the storytelling.  This film could have been great, but instead we are left with a great story with amazing performances (including Hamm and Wilde ... their characters may be poorly written, but their performances are still stellar) that could have been so much more if the filmmakers allowed the story to speak for itself.  I was hoping Clint had one more great film in him.  I was hoping Richard Jewell would be it.  It is looking more like one of the greatest filmmakers of the last 50 years may be out of masterpieces.

Rating:

3 stars

Watch the trailer here:

Reactions to the Oscar Nominations: 2018

Academy Award nominee Kobe Bryant…yeah that sounds weird. The nominations for the 90^th Annual Academy Awards came out this morning, and there were some surprises. There were not the typical shockers like Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah, but there were some notable snubs, chief among them being the director of the frontrunner for Best Picture Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Check out my reactions to all of the categories below, as well as how my predictions did and my Top 10 Coolest First-time nominees (stacked list this year) and the Top 10 Biggest Snubs…enjoy!

BEST PICTURE
Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Predicted: 7 for 9

Reactions: Rounding out my top 10 predicted were The Big Sick, Mudbound, and The Florida Project. The big surprise here is Darkest Hour, which has been ignored for everything all season other than Gary Oldman’s eventual Oscar for Best Actor. Phantom Thread had issues with the screeners getting to voters in time, but it is good to know that the Academy at least took notice. Due to how the next category stacked up, we have maybe the most unpredictable and wide open race (probably 4 legitimate contenders for the top prize) that I can remember.

Preliminary prediction: Lady Bird

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson – Phantom Thread

Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird

Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk

Jordan Peele – Get Out

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: The Golden Globe winner of the Best Picture frontrunner got snubbed for Best Director. This race was always going to be Guillermo del Toro anyway, but that shakes up things quite a bit. Three Billboards already is seeing the backlash to some viewers’ reservations about the how racism is handled in the movie. It took longer for people to turn on La La Land. Without a Directing nomination, chances are incredibly thin for Martin McDonagh’s film. Argo was able to overcome it, but that was a rarity. Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, and PTA…this category is amazing! I had Spielberg and McDonagh making the list in my predictions.

Preliminary prediction: Guillermo del Toro

BEST ACTOR

Timothee Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

Gary Oldman – Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington – Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Predicted: 5 for 5

Reactions: The ill-timed sexual harassment allegations against James Franco took its toll. This is exactly what I expected to happen here. I always thought Franco was on the fringe anyway, and with the Phantom Thread screeners not making it to SAG voters in time, it makes sense that DDL would take his rightful place in this race in his “final” movie.

Preliminary prediction: Gary Oldman

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie – I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird

Meryl Streep – The Post

Predicted: 5 for 5

Reactions: There was really no other option here. It would have been awesome to see Jessica Chastain in Molly’s Game, but when Streep is on the edge, she is always going to win out.

Preliminary prediction: Frances McDormand

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins – The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer – All the Money in the World

Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: I had Armie Hammer over Harrelson. I actually think the double nomination for Three Billboards is detrimental to Rockwell’s chances. It really sucks for Armie Hammer. He deserved to be in there. Also, Michael Stuhlbarg was in three Best Picture nominees (first time since 2002 that has happened), but he was not rewarded with a nomination like John C. Reilly was 15 years ago.

Preliminary prediction: Willem Dafoe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige – Mudbound

Allison Janney – I, Tonya

Lesley Manville – Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf – Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer – The Shape of Water

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: Apparently Hong Chau’s film was hated enough to take her out of the running. I had her making it alongside Holly Hunter. This is an ok lineup. Manville is pretty much out of nowhere, but she should have gotten nominated for Mike Leigh’s Another Year in the past. Octavia Spencer could become the annual also-ran in this category. If Lady Bird is going to win Best Picture, then I think this will be where is will (rightly) be rewarded to give it another win.

Preliminary prediction: Laurie Metcalf

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: I had The Post making it, and I’m glad I’m wrong. But…who voted for The Post for Best Picture!? Obviously the SAG shutout implies that it wasn’t actors. The directors didn’t even nominate Spielberg. It got snubbed here, despite being a journalism movie written by an Oscar winner. They didn’t even nominate John Williams. Yet…5% somehow had it as their #1 of the year. Ridiculous…

Preliminary prediction: Lady Bird

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Call Me by Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly’s Game

Mudbound

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: Logan is now the first superhero movie to be nominated for its screenplay. I had All the Money in the World in my predictions for this category, the worst screenplay category I can remember. James Ivory is 90 and has never won an Oscar…this is his year.

Preliminary prediction: Call Me by Your Name

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

Predicted: 5 for 5

Reactions: Rachel Morrison (Mudbound) becomes the first female DOP nominated for an Oscar. This has got to finally be the time for Roger Deakins…right?

Preliminary prediction: Blade Runner 2049

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Blade Runner 2049

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Predicted: 5 for 5

Reactions: These were pretty much the obvious nominees, mixing fantasy and period pieces.

Preliminary prediction: The Shape of Water

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria & Abdul

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: I went more conventional with Murder on the Orient Express and The Greatest Showman, but I guess these period pieces are more Oscary. If The Shape of Water starts picking up awards like this, then we could be in for a sweep.

Preliminary prediction: Phantom Thread

BEST SOUND MIXING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Shape of Water

Predicted: 5 for 5

Reactions: These pretty much are the prestigious technical achievement films of the year…and Baby Driver, which is just an awesome movie.

Preliminary prediction: The Shape of Water

BEST FILM EDITING

Baby Driver

Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: Get Out getting snubbed here is detrimental to its Best Picture chances, and it was in favor of a joke of a nomination for I, Tonya. Lady Bird misses as well. Usually the Best Picture winner is also nominated here, but Birdman bucked the trend a few years ago. The new voting structure keeps everything wide open.

Preliminary prediction: Dunkirk

BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Shape of Water

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: Baby Driver is this year’s The Bourne Ultimatum. I had Wonder Woman (shut out, BTW) in over Blade Runner. These are probably the right nominees though. Usually a terrible action movie is mentioned here, but the voters had good action movies to play with.

Preliminary prediction: Dunkirk

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: I had Best Picture nominees The Shape of Water and Dunkirk in there. With this group, it looks wide open. If they want to reward Star Wars for something, it might need to be here.

Preliminary prediction: War for the Planet of the Apes

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Darkest Hour

Victoria & Abdul

Wonder

Predicted: 2 for 3

Reactions: I had the more showy makeup work in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in there over the hairstyling work in the Dame Judi Dench film. This is Darkest Hour, easy.

Preliminary prediction: Darkest Hour

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“The Mystery of Love” – Call Me by Your Name

“Remember Me” – Coco

“Stand Up for Something” – Marshall

“Mighty River” – Mudbound

“This is Me” – The Greatest Showman

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: I predicted a couple documentaries to get their songs in there, which is usually how it goes. This is a more star packed group. Mary J. Blige, Oscar-winner Common, Diane Warren, the EGOT winning Robert and Kristen Lopez. I’ll go with Blige.

Preliminary prediction: “Mighty River”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Dunkirk

Phantom Thread

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: I had The Post in there. This category just further cements the strange snub of McDonagh for Director since the movie he created and oversaw got nominated in all of the important categories. The Shape of Water’s music just sounds like an Oscar winning score.

Preliminary prediction: The Shape of Water

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Faces Places

Incarus

Last Men in Aleppo

Strong Island

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: I had popular choices Jane and City of Ghosts getting nominated. I have not seen any of these, but Faces Places is the definite critical favorite, so for now…I’ll predict that.

Preliminary prediction: Faces Places

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Fantastic Woman

The Insult

Loveless

On Body and Soul

The Square

Predicted: 3 for 5

Reactions: I had the Golden Globe-winning In the Fade and Foxtrot getting nominated. This category is always impossible to predict the nominees. This seems like a good group though. The Cannes winner makes a rare appearance.

Preliminary prediction: A Fantastic Woman

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

Predicted: 4 for 5

Reactions: The new voting rules allowing every Academy member to vote on this category means we get more The Boss Baby and less Mary and the Witch’s Flower. Kobe Bryant’s Dear Basketball was nominated for Best Animated Short…which is awesome. Coco takes this in a walk.

Preliminary prediction: Coco

Overall predictions: 83/107; 77.57% (74.77% in 2017)

Without the last 5 categories: 66/82; 80.49% (78.05% in 2017)

On the Big 8 categories: 35/44; 77.77% (83.72% in 2017)

10 COOLEST FIRST TIME NOMINEES

1. Sam Rockwell

2. Jordan Peele

3. Greta Gerwig

4. Kobe Bryant

5. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon

6. Mary J. Blige

7. Timothee Chalamet

8. Allison Janney

9. Daniel Kaluuya

10. Margot Robbie

10 WORST SNUBS

1. Martin McDonagh for Best Director

2. Armie Hammer for Best Supporting Actor

3. Get Out for Best Editing

4. Blade Runner 2049 for Original Score

5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer for Best Cinematography

6. Michael Stuhlbarg for Best Supporting Actor

7. Luca Guadagnino for Best Director

8. James Franco for Best Actor

9. Wonder Woman for all technical categories

10. Jessica Chastain for Best Actress

Stay tuned for our 10th Annual Oscar Challenge!