Atlanta Brave.
129 Mins. Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde & Kathy Bates. Director: Clint Eastwood.
Tokyo, 2020. All eyes will be on the Japanese hosting Olympics this Summer in a year that has started tragically in the sports world. Rest peacefully Kobe and GiGi. But when Bryant number 24 was a rookie number 8 with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, Atlanta hosted the XXVI Olympic Games in the U.S. Monumental moments like the late, great, greatest of all time champ Muhammed Ali carrying the torch and lighting the flame, or the gold boots of a magic Michael Johnson becoming the fastest man alive without bowing his head moved your mesmerized memories. But it was the bomb in Centennial Park that marred the opening ceremony. The domestic terrorist attack took two lives and injured 111 others. It would have taken even more if it wasn't for the cautious thinking and quick acting of security guard Richard Jewell who this movie in tribute is named after based on the Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner, 'American Nightmare: The Ballad Of Richard Jewell'. 'Richard Jewell' evacuated as many people as he could, saving lives and becoming a hero in the process. But not before the same FBI that didn't see it, say it, sort it, stop and search on a suspicious backpack put him through the ringer. As looking for any excuse after excuse they tried to pin the pipe bomb murder on him. Railroading him whilst his lawyer friend who he used to deliver Snickers too went nuts as he tried to untie the meek and polite Richard from the tracks. Thieving Jewell's life when all Richard did was save as many as he could himself.
Simply subtle and beautifully nuanced as the strokes of piano he plays over the score, classic director-even better than he is a legendary actor-Clint Eastwood is the perfect person to give this hero its due, following this time last years, most underrated 'The Mule' (which he starred in alongside star of another fallen, real hero film 'American Sniper', Bradley Cooper). Besides this is his best in years since 2016's 'Sully' starring Tom Hanks who played the pilot who performed the 'Miracle On The Hudson', crash landing a plane ON the water after two flocks of birds took out both engines after take off. And still the "higher ups" wanted to tooth and nail everything to try and make like him saving everybodies life with no casualties was all his fault. Eastwood-who not only presented both sides in team and country in his Rugby World Cup sports show 'Invictus', but the war ones of his dual release of 'Flags Of Our Fathers' and the Japanese 'Letters From Iwo Jima'-the 'Million Dollar Baby' man has always made movies about justice like 'Dirty Harry' took with a magnum punk. From the groundbreaking 'Mystic River' and 'Changeling', to the westerns classic ('Unforgiven') and neo ('Gran Torino'). And even with his traditional tone of no frills, but all thrills over that silver Warner Bros and Village Roadshow logo, Clint still finds new ways to tell his tried and tested real life tales of real humans and real heroes. Just like when he got the real heroes of the train hijacking to get on board and play themselves on the underrated '15:17 To Paris'. As with these five rings in the ATL, Eastwood, Jewell in the crown takes us to the heart of a man who just wanted to do the right thing in the name of law and order, but in the line of fire was enforced by the law to be portrayed as someone he was the furthest thing from. But not now in this picture portrait.
"There's a bomb in Centennial Park. You have 30 minutes" the Feds force Richard to say again and again in the shadows of the trailer (they should have directly kept in), leaving a message after the recorded beep on an answering machine in a cruel and callously phone cradled moment that will wrap itself round your wrenched fingers like a cord that is anything but dialled in. Clinical coldness in latex surgical gloves. The perfect Paul Walter Hauser (in a role originally intended for producer Jonah Hill, but so much more here with this perfect cast. Let's hope the same can be said for Colin Farrell's Penguin) is a revelation as Richard Jewell, a gem in this movie that has been Oscar ignored like Adam Sandler's 'Uncut Gems' apart from this 'Big Daddy's mother. Hauser normally plays rednecks to the chapped skin in supporting roles of awkward hilarity in Oscar movies like 'Bombshell' actress Margot Robbie's 'I. Tonya' and Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman' with Denzel's son John David Washington. But now with this National Board Of Review breakthrough he deserves at least his Academy nomination notice for the way he nuacedly plays Jewell with the shimmers and shines of the man's shy sweetness and sincerity, despite being stunted socially somewhat. All whilst the 'Mad Men' and 'Baby Driver' bad guy trademark sleaze of Jon Hamm lays it on thick slice after slice crossing the thin blue line with shades of his cocky cop character in 'The Town'. You actually hate the man you love in all those other films and shows here...sign of an incredible actor. As in newsprint does the hitting the best 'Booksmart', award nominated director Olivia Wilde's wild journalist and getting to the bottom of it all clever character. Despite the controversy of a sex for a story exchange that has derailed this movie, even with the outstanding Olivia defending it. And to her credit she disappears into her character (whoever that is, real or not) completely...signs of an incredible actress. It makes a difference however when the real woman she played is said to have never performed this act and has passed away since whilst unable to defend her somewhat sullied name. They're talking about a defamation of character in a movie from a man whose ones are all about justice. But it still seems more like a misguided mistake than a maliciously manhandled thing. Which makes it strange that 'Three Billboard Outside Ebbing Missouri' Oscar winning Supporting Actor doesn't have two like the 12 joining 'Jojo Rabbit' co-star Scarlett Johansson for his more heartfelt and full performances here and in Taika Waititi's Hitler Nazi satire. I am Sam Rockwell rocks here as the defence Walter Bryant (fittingly poignant) who never let's up like the Black Mamba doberman dogging and guarding you in London's 2012 Olympics. Always game for a laugh, but always so much more heart than the humour. But 'Misery' aside there is an Oscar nomination for the great Kathy Bates who really makes this movie what it is whilst Sam steals the show as per. Sledgehammering a stirring speech plea to Clinton. Bates is absoultely brilliant. Keeping her house together, living room to the kitchen tupperware draw, whilst trying to hold it all together with press and the police knocking at her door with microphones and billy clubs. All for her son. Birthright. A mother's love. The real Richard Jewell passed away through complications from heart failure a decade and change later in 2007, but his heart and spirit lives on through not only this movie, but the people who walk through Centennial Park today in peace and safety. That's his legacy and the fact that this movie shows his story too is as such and still needs to be told 24 (poignantly fitting) years later. Keeping his flame lit. If only he was here to see it. Lucky for the world on that fateful day in 1996-even if the FBI failed to-Richard Jewell saw it all. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: '15:17 To Paris', 'Sully', 'I. Tonya'.
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