Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 28 december 2019
Eastwood’s ‘Richard Jewell’ offers

a flawed critique

Associated Press of heroism and scrutinizing meet Jewell as a supply
“Richard Jewell” is a typi- how a sense of civic duty room clerk rolling a mail
cally strong late-period arises despite, not because cart through an office. He
Clint Eastwood docudra- of, a rapacious modern catches the attention of
ma that balances grand American society. one attorney, Watson Bry-
American themes while In “Richard Jewell,” East- ant (Sam Rockwell), by
captivatingly dramatizing wood’s critique focuses thoughtfully, if a little creep-
the villainization of the At- on two institutions — the ily, stocking his desk drawer
lanta Olympics bombing government (by way of with candy bars. “I’m going
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Sam Rock- hero, only to needlessly the FBI) and the media (by to call you Radar,” Bryant
well, from left, Kathy Bates and Paul Walter Hauser in a scene tarnish itself with a wanton way of an Atlanta Journal says.When Jewell leaves for
from "Richard Jewell." and unfounded depiction Constitution reporter who a security gig with plans on
Associated Press of a female journalist at the broke the story that Jew- becoming a police officer,
center of the 1996 media ell was being considered Bryant cautions him: “A lit-
storm. a suspect). Olivia Wilde tle power can turn a person
Eastwood’s drama is about plays that reporter, Kathy into a monster.” Jewell will
Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Scruggs, who like most of have his own struggles with
Hauser), the security guard those depicted in “Richard that (he makes for an ex-
who discovered the bomb Jewell,” is based on a real tremely aggressive college
in Centennial Park and person. campus security officer)
who, by moving crowds But the venom reserved but there are those with
away from the suspicious specifically for Scruggs is far less restraint in “Richard
backpack, saved lives from mystifying. Scruggs, who Jewell.”
the explosion. One died died in 2001, is shown not Eastwood cuts between
and more than 100 were just as overwhelmingly ar- Jewell’s past while lead-
injured, but the damage rogant and bitter but as a ing up to the fateful night,
done could have been sig- reporter who sleeps with depicting an awkward and
nificantly worse. a source (Jon Hamm’s FBI serious young man who
Jewell found himself quick- agent) for the scoop. In a speaks in platitudes but
ly catapulted onto the na- film that otherwise strives struggles to achieve the
tional news and celebrat- for accuracy (screenwriter higher status he aspires to.
ed for his actions, only to Billy Ray based it on Marie “The world owes us better
soon turn into the focus of Brenner’s 1997 Vanity Fair than this,” Jewell laments
the FBI’s investigation when article “American Night- to his mother.
misguided investigators de- mare: The Ballad of Rich- The portrait of Jewell is re-
cided Jewell — a so-called ard Jewell”), it’s a glaring markably nuanced. Haus-
“frustrated white male” and offensive invention er, who played the dim-
with an extensive gun col- that perpetuates a false witted accomplice in “I,
lection who lived with his and misogynistic view of Tonya,” imbues him with
mom (Kathy Bates) and female journalists, let alone a flawed humanity. His life
had a history of misusing his of Scruggs. “Richard Jew- doesn’t stand up well to
power — matches the pro- ell,” about larger powers the spotlight. He has been
file of a “false hero.” running roughshod over an guilty of impersonating an
The entire concept of a innocent individual, enacts officer, unpaid taxes and
“false hero” seems tailor the very injustice it depicts. even keeping an item from
made for Eastwood, who It’s a shame because the the bomb scene as a sou-
has spent much of his ca- rest of “Richard Jewell” is venir. But he’s mostly doing
reer, especially recently often a thought-provoking his best, and even the most
(“Sully,” “The 15:17 to Par- docudrama with a singu- imperfect are capable of
is”), examining the nature lar protagonist. We first something great.q

‘Game of Thrones’ author Martin opens

bookstore in Santa Fe

Associated Press The shop sells books by him Mexico-based art collec-
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — and by local authors and tive known as Meow Wolf.
“Game of Thrones” author “Game of Thrones” mer- He will serve as “chief world
and television producer chandise. builder” for a permanent
George R.R. Martin is add- Martin, a longtime Santa Fe installation inside a multi-
ing bookstore owner to his resident, wrote on his blog dimensional Santa Fe mys-
resume. that he opened the book- tery house.
The fantasy writer quietly store in part because the Martin’s novel series, “A
opened Beastly Books last lobby of his Jean Cocteau Song of Ice and Fire,” in-
month in Santa Fe next to Cinema theater was too spired the HBO TV show
the movie theater he re- small to display books by “Game of Thrones.” It aired
vived in 2013, the Santa Fe visiting authors. its eighth and final season
New Mexican reported. Martin in June joined a New in May.q