Richard Jewell (2019)

It is perhaps one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the history of our country. The Richard Jewell saga was perhaps the biggest libel and slander tale of the last century. On one fateful evening in July 1996, the Olympics were being held in Atlanta, Georgia, and mayhem struck. A pipe-bomb filled with shrapnel exploded in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. The tragedy killed two people and injured nearly 100 others.

What followed the attack, was chaos and the besmirching of the hero security guard at the venue, Richard Jewell. 23 years later, acclaimed director and Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood makes an extraordinary film based on the whole ordeal.

It is the single best film of the year. Clint Eastwood makes a film that should anger the entire country. This film does a remarkable job of showcasing the entire event of the attack and the aftermath, domino effect that soon followed. Eastwood's raw and gripping approach is sincere. This is as dramatic as it really was. It shows throughout the film.

This event directly affected my family. My mom was a volunteer at the Olympics but was not impacted by the attack. After watching this film, I was angry at our government and those investigating Richard Jewell. Everyone should be rightfully angry at this whole thing.

The timeliness of this film is so necessary. It couldn’t be more relevant to today’s political circus. It shows the contrast between both Richard Jewell’s story and now President Trump. It should enrage every American and make them feel just as angry as I am.

The film's cast is phenomenal and shattered expectations on all fronts. Playing the title hero is Paul-Walter Hauser, who is best known for “Blackkklansman” & I, Tonya”. Hauser is an uncanny doppelganger to Richard Jewell. His portrayal of Jewell is groundbreaking, emotionally gripping and powerful.

Alongside Hauser, are Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde and Jon Hamm. Rockwell especially stands out along Hauser as his friend and lawyer, Watson Bryant. Rockwell’s performance is as gripping as Hauser’s. The chemistry between the two actors is striking. Kathy Bates plays Jewell’s mother. She does a phenomenal job at the role and it’s as gripping as the rest of the cast.

Twenty-three years ago, one mans life changed forever. The name Richard Jewell will ever be etched into the minds of millions and has been ever since that fateful night in Atlanta. He died 11 years later. This film is magnificent and thrilling to its core. It is a brilliant take on a very disgusting and despicable miscarriage of justice and Clint Eastwood and the cast have done an incredibly amazing job telling this emotionally charged story that will live on forever.

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures

Rate: A+

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Paul-Walter Hauser, Kathy Bates, Olivia Wilde, Jon Hamm and Sam Rockwell

MPAA Rating: R (for language including some sexual references, and brief bloody images)

Runtime: 2 Hours and 11 Minutes 

Synopsis: Directed by Clint Eastwood and based on true events, "Richard Jewell" is a story of what happens when what is reported as fact obscures the truth. "There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes." The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing-his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives. But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI's number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant, Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI, and APD to clear his client's name, while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.