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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 24 december 2019
Jordan and Foxx shine in urgent

drama ‘Just Mercy’

By MARK KENNEDY turned to Stevenson for ad- light.
Associated Press vice. So if there’s one weakness
There’s usually one film that The film follows one of his in the film, it’s that it some-
tops lists whenever power- first cases, that of Walter times veers into hagiogra-
ful legal thrillers are debat- McMillian, a black pulp- phy. The naturalism of the
ed — “To Kill a Mocking- wood worker sentenced cinematography and act-
bird,” set in the 1930s. Now to death for the 1986 fatal ing sometimes clashes with
comes a film showing how shooting of an 18-year-old dialogue that seems overly
little has changed since white woman. Stevenson polished.
then, based on a murder was able to prove that a “I just want to help people,”
This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Jamie Foxx in the same Alabama town key witness had lied and Jordan says at one point.
in a scene from "Just Mercy." where Harper Lee wrote prosecutors withheld im- “I just have to figure out
Associated Press her masterpiece. portant evidence. how.” In another scene,
“ Just Mercy ” is the real McMillian is played by Ja- Foxx declares to his attor-
story of civil rights attorney mie Foxx and it is his best ney: “I got my truth back.
Bryan Stevenson and his work in years, raw, soul- You gave that to me.”
fight to keep an innocent ful and honest. Tim Blake The film at times follows oth-
black man from being ex- Nelson, as the key witness, er great courtroom dramas
ecuted. It is urgent, searing also turns in a stunning per- that build to a emotional
and powerful, led by a first- formance, as does Rob conclusion such as “My
rate cast. Though it portrays Morgan playing a death Cousin Vinny” and “A Few
events more than 25 years row inmate. Brie Larson as Good Men” but “Just Mer-
ago, it is very much a film Stevenson’s assistant is un- cy” has larger and deeper
of 2019. flashy and strong. Jordan is social issues constantly
Michael B. Jordan portrays the calm, quiet anchor of swirling, including criminal
Stevenson, who founded the film, his kind eyes radi- justice reform, the death
the Equal Justice Initia- ating pathos. penalty and racial profil-
tive, a legal organization In a pivotal scene, Foxx’s ing. If ever there was an
that has successfully chal- character asks Stevenson example of how film can
lenged the death row con- why a Harvard-trained at- slide from entertainment to
victions of more than 130 torney has come down to advocacy, this is it.
inmates. the South and risked vio- With the exception of
Earlier this year, he was the lence to do this legal work. Larson and a young cor-
subject of HBO’s film “True “I know what it’s like to be rections officer, no white
Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s the shadows,” Stevenson characters come across
Fight for Equality.” responds. “That’s why I’m as anything but venal and
Stevenson has been a doing this.” Alabama is portrayed as a
dogged fighter for justice, Destin Daniel Cretton di- place where African Amer-
someone Archbishop Des- rected the film from a icans are “guilty the mo-
mond Tutu once called screenplay he co-wrote ment you’re born.” While it
“America’s Mandela.” with Andrew Lanham, ends on a happy note, you
When Starbucks was faced based on Stevenson’s best- cry for all those generations
with a racially charged selling 2014 memoir. Ste- of people railroaded into a
uproar over the arrest of venson is also an executive cell. “Just Mercy” is not al-
two black men at one of producer, and that ensures ways an easy film to watch,
its stores in Philadelphia, it he’s illuminated in the best but it is necessary.q

Busy Philipps says her family likes

spontaneous travel

NEW YORK (AP) — Busy son upon us, the “Freaks of like all in it together,” she
Philipps and her screen- and Geeks” star is encour- said. “It becomes a family
writer husband, Marc Silver- aging parents not to be adventure and the kids re-
stein, jet around the world afraid to book a last-min- ally get into it.”
a lot with their two daugh- ute family getaway. She’s As for traveling with kids,
ters, ages 6 and 11, and of- promoting the HotelTonight her advice is: Be prepared,
ten don’t have much time travel app, which offer dis- bring snacks or even whole
to plan ahead. counts on last-minute ac- meals, and don’t be too
“My husband and I have commodations. tough on activities.
always been spontane- Just make sure the whole “We have no limits on
ous travelers because of family is on board with the screen time on an airplane
the way that our jobs work. idea, she says. or in a car trip,″ she said.
We never know and can “My friends who have kids She tries to encourage oth-
schedule things aside from are always asking, isn’t that er things, like card games
big holidays,” the actress more stressful? But it’s not. or coloring, but if the kids
told The Associated Press in It’s better in a weird way just want to watch movies,
a recent interview. because your expectations ``I’m like, `OK, that sounds
With the holiday travel sea- are lower and you’re kind fun. Great.’”q