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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 23 august 2017
Review: In ‘Crown Heights’ a

wrongful conviction in Brooklyn

By JAKE COYLE on with one notable ex- case, “Crown Heights”
AP Film Writer ception. Every now and misses the opportunity to
Matt Ruskin’s “Crown then up pops a president delve deeper into its char-
Heights” takes its name — Reagan, Bush, Clinton acters. Warner, for exam-
from the Brooklyn neighbor- — on television pledg- ple, remarkably finds love
hood, but its story is both ing to be tough on crime. 12 years into his imprison-
more pointedly individual New York governor George ment with an old friend,
and more broadly national Pataki also gets in on the Catherine, and they marry.
than that suggests. act — long a popular one But their relationship here
It’s a sober recounting of for politicians looking for a consists of little more than a
a case of wrongful convic- boost in the polls. Warner, glance at the conjugal visit
This image released by IFC Films shows Lakeith Stanfield, left,
and Natalie Paulin “Crown Heights.” tion. Colin Warner (Lakeith it’s suggested, is one more bed.
Associated Press Stanfield) is a Trinidad-born innocent ensnarled by “law “Crown Heights” doesn’t
18-year-old from Crown and order” politics, which crackle with outrage, as
Heights, a traditional bas- despite recent bipartisan you might expect. Instead,
tion of Caribbean immi- movements toward prison it takes its patient, plodding
grants. He’s arrested in April reform, is still very much in mood from the laconic
1980 for a murder in neigh- vogue. Warner who, outside of oc-
boring Flatbush. Warner “Crown Heights” comes casional outbursts, greets
isn’t a saint — he’s shown out of a popular “This this horror with uncommon
stealing a car earlier in the American Life” episode poise and not very much
day — but he had nothing and it’s easy to applaud its surprise. Outside of the
to do with the crime, and noble effort to spotlight a president cameos, he lets
doesn’t even know the gross injustice. Many did at the story simply unfold, let-
people involved. the Sundance Film Festival ting our anger grow with
Warner’s jail term stretches in January, where “Crown time.
more than two decades. Heights” won the audience Many will know Stanfield as
The years, as marked in award. one of the Donald Glover’s
“Crown Heights,” peel Yet the film, full of good pals from the absurdist TV
away like boxing round intentions and compelling series “Atlanta.” (His equal-
cards in a bludgeoning performers, fails to find a ly great co-star Brian Tyree
fight that just won’t end. dramatic structure for its Henry also briefly turns up in
The tale of Warner’s misfor- considerable timespan. “Crown Heights.”) But Stan-
tune dovetails throughout Working against “Crown field’s range has quickly
with the obsessed efforts Heights” is that tales of become apparent. He’s
of a childhood friend, Carl wrongful conviction are dis- lately been ubiquitous as a
King (Nnamdi Asomugha, hearteningly familiar, and key part of the ensembles
the former star NFL corner- Ruskin struggles to carve of “Short Term 12” and “Sel-
back) to free him. More out new terrain. We get, as ma,” as the pivotal char-
than one life is wrecked by you’d expect, tussles with acter who utters the title
injustice. guards, failed legal ap- phrase in “Get Out” and
Writer-director Ruskin, in his peals and frustrated parole even as the Chandler in
second feature film, stays hearings. Jay-Z’s “Friends”-style mu-
with each as the years pile But in staying close to the sic video.q

Morgan Freeman to receive SAG

Life Achievement Award in 2018

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mor- He has been nominated
gan Freeman will receive five times for an Academy
the SAG Life Achieve- Award and won for his per-
ment Award at next year’s formance in 2004’s “Million
Screen Actors Guild Awards Dollar Baby.”
ceremony. Freeman’s voice is among
The actors union an- the most recognizable in
nounced Tuesday that entertainment.
Freeman will accept its He has narrated many
highest honor on Jan. 21, documentaries and lent
2018. his voice to the presiden-
The 80-year-old Freeman tial campaigns of Barack
has already received life- Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In this Jan. 6, 2016, file photo, time achievement prizes Previous SAG Life Achieve-
actor Morgan Freeman from the American Film In- ment Award recipients in-
participates in the “The Story stitute and the Hollywood clude Carol Burnett, Betty
of God” panel at the National Foreign Press Association, White, Elizabeth Taylor, Sid-
Geographic Channel 2016
Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. among many other acting ney Poitier, George Burns
Associated Press accolades. and James Earl Jones.q