★★★
American security guard Richard Jewell saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics but is vilified by journalists and the press who falsely reported that he was a terrorist.
Classification: 15
Over the last decade, Clint Eastwood has created a string of biopics focusing on American "heroes" who all encapsulate American exceptionalism, even that still coveted "Reagan era", simple conservative men who love flag and country, who take pride in the work they do. American Sniper and Sully both films that don't exactly romanticise the men being examined but celebrated their moral ethics, these were men who made America "great". Eastwood finished the decade with the story of a man whose exceptionalism was in his simplicity but whose conflict takes on chilling contemporary comparisons to modern stigmas against law enforcement and the media. Richard Jewell, a security guard who was accused of being the mastermind of a bombing attack he intervened can be seen as a parallel case of modern white conservative anxieties over "deep state" conspiracies as becomes the target of a coordinated investigation by the FBI and news media.
Eastwood doesn't make direct references to Trump's paranoid demagoguery cries of "fake news" and "corrupt FBI" but the sentiment seems to be the underlying force of much of Richard Jewell's conflict. In 1996 when the 24-hour news cycle had found great success in covering the scandals of Tonya Harding and O.J Simpson, Jewell who initially was praised as the hero becomes the next easy target for America to sink their teeth into. Facing character assassination with his appearance, living situation, employment history, and naivete all being used against him. Jewell fits the "profile", that classic FBI term of a lone bomber with a hero complex but the constant media frenzy creates pressure to pin it on Jewell despite the physical evidence not supporting the theory. Speculative fury begins to drown out the truth as Jewell's professional and personal life along with his mother and friend's face consistent scrutiny. Eastwood presents Jewell's story as direct harassment, where the media's reporting is mostly hypothetical hearsay and the FBI's tactics against Jewell consist of dishonest unlawful methods which violates Jewell's constitutional rights. Jon Hamm's character Agent Tom Shaw constantly trying to separate Jewell from his attorney and use his love of law enforcement to trick him into a confession.
It's a compelling film especially for those unaware of Jewell's story but Eastwood doesn't establish much tension within the film's narrative. Conflicts with Sam Rockwell's Watson Bryant, Jewell's friend and attorney along with others possibly doubt Jewell's innocence but the film never can establish that doubt. Richard Jewell is just missing that extra spark to make audiences question who may be telling the truth especially after the incredible first act which depicts the bombing and tries to question Jewell's motives. However, Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray seem more focused on highlighting that in the aftermath that simple fact-checking completely breaks the case against Jewell and how his naivete made him such an easy target. Richard Jewell is an innocent man but that doesn't mean he's not an idiot as his blind faith in America's institutions like the FBI make him an easy target for manipulation. While Clint Eastwood's direction brings great humanity to this figure of unjust vilification, the film doesn't hide the flaws to the man, bringing attention to his power fantasies and how he projects himself to others. After the bombing, Jewell relishes in the attention, with news interviews, possible book deals and even speculates with others on how the bomb could have been crafted, nothing proving direct guilt but enough to have someone suspect how the tragic events have benefitted Jewell.
Unjust accusation and conviction is no stranger to America, here's a review for Just Mercy about an innocent man condemned on death row despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime. Ava Duvernay's When They See Us, a mini-series depicting the high profile Central park jogger case, which saw five young men falsely accused, convicted and publicly shamed by zealous, bigoted law enforcement and media. Donald Trump even took out advertisements calling for the death penalty and having the teenagers executed. The difference here is that Jewell is a white, conservative man, who own lots of guns, hasn't paid taxes, and definitely believes in that Reagan exceptionalism of authority, truth, and America. Eastwood never addresses how Jewell's reality is not some anomaly, it is the certainty for so many Americans of different races but it seems because it's happening to a white man it is far more terrifying, an utterly tone-deaf approach to the reality. At times Richard Jewell feels like a film which justifies the far-right rage against modern American institutions as the two "antagonists" Jon Hamm as Tom Shaw and Olivia Wilde as reporter Kathy Scruggs feel like caricatures in their reckless assumption of Jewell's guilt. Hamm seems to be bitterly motivated that Jewell found the bomb on his watch during the Olympics and Wilde playing Scruggs as an arrogant, materialistic, judgemental woman who thinks Jewell is a dumb hick. These two character feeding into the negative stereotypes that many Americans have about current law enforcement and reporters. The film along with Eastwood and Billy Ray has faced scrutiny from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the publication which reported Jewell's alleged involvement for depicting Scruggs as someone who elicited sexual favours in exchange for information. For a film which aims to reveal the truth and the dangers of false accusations, this misogynistic trope seriously undercuts the impact of Richard Jewell's message.
What elevates a lot of the film's problematic modern connotations are in its performances, Richard Jewell is an innocent man and Paul Walter Hauser brings him to life in an incredible portrayal. Hauser, known for his supporting roles as a bumbling idiot in films such as I, Tonya or BlackkKlansman really delivers the drama as Jewell's desire to be liked and respected crumbles in his realisations that no one believes him. The institutions which he has admired his whole life looking down at him and treating him as scum but Hauser balances the emotion and humour to the character with ease. Jewell is not a perfect man by any stretch, in fact for some audiences, he is likely not a person you would associate with but its violation of rights and privacy that makes him an empathetic figure and makes his story interesting. Rockwell as Bryant, far more straight-laced and frustrated at the lack of decorum in Jewell's case can make him seem like a discount Atticus Finch at times but still has all the righteous indignation you can expect from an Eastwood film. Kathy Bates is the classic American mom, her scenes with Hauser both sweet and innocent with a few moments for Bates to display her dramatic chops. These three keep the film grounded in what's important, that in this frenzy to be first, the pressure of headlines and deadlines, and the need to solve a case that there is always a human cost at stake. The truth should matter far more than anything else and when conjecture is mistaken for fact, the ripple effects are devastating.
A complicated history taking the form of a simple biopic, Eastwood has Richard Jewell join the ranks of his other biopics with ease but the seeming lack of awareness to Kathy Scruggs truth and how Jewell's story has ramifications beyond conservatism has the scope of its impact feel very limited. Incredible performances from Hauser and Rockwell play into Eastwood's strengths as a director but at times the film can feel as hollow as the investigation into Jewell itself, plodding along with the predictable points until the obvious conclusion.
Director: #ClintEastwood
Screenwriter: #BillyRay
Release Date: January 31st 2020
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Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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