Directed by:
Clint EastwoodScreenplay:
Billy RayCinematography:
Yves BélangerComposer:
Arturo SandovalCast:
Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Nina Arianda, Ian Gomez, Dylan Kussman, Mike Pniewski, Niko Nicotera, Brandon Stanley (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
After foiling a bomb attack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, security guard Richard Jewell is an instant hero. However when the FBI leaks to the media that he is a suspect in the bombing, his life becomes a nightmare. Based on the true story... "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. (Cinemax)
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Reviews (8)
How does Eastwood do it at his age? To make a film at 89 years old brimming with such youthful energy is truly breathtaking. I can only tip my hat. But now, to the film. Richard Jewell tackles a significant story from the end of the last century that I think most people might not even know about (I’m among those who were completely unaware of this man). The film relies on two things: the cast and the well-crafted script. Honestly, I was most entertained by Sam Rockwell as the lawyer. In recent years, I’ve grown to really appreciate this actor; he can play any role, and you always know he won’t slack off. But Paul Walter Hauser as the lead was also engaging, and Jon Hamm, playing a negative character for perhaps the first time, was great as well. In terms of the script, I enjoyed every line, and the emotional scenes worked well both on paper and on screen. It’s a wonderful, intimate film that shows how being a hero can unexpectedly turn against you. I give it 85%.
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Another finely tuned wow from Clint. This smooth-gliding story is further augmented by the acting performances. Powerhouse Sam Rockwell props up Houser in every scene they have together, making the times when Richard gets pissed even more impressive. Olivia Wilde, representing the media, could very easily have fallen into clichés, but in the end she actually rocks, and Hamm as an amoral FBI asshole is the embodiment of everything that you hate about the powers that be. In the end, this turns into an average guy vs. the government and the media battle, but it’s shot with such grace that I am giving it the fifth star. Movies where neither the government nor the media are right are always satisfying to watch. Especially these days.
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If you don't live to see the cinematic immortalization of your professional activities, you may end up an unlikely incel hero against whom the whole world conspires, or an incompetent journalistic whore who gets to her sources through the bedroom and realizes only too late what a bitch she was. It plays into Eastwood's hands that he's one of the truly last representatives of pure Republican thought in high Hollywood, so he makes Richard Jewell look refreshingly bizarre. In fact, he uses the same methods of building sympathy as any liberal biopic, but applies them to a character of the type who waits until 10:01 pm to call the cops that there are two people smoking down the street outside the pub. By looking at the protagonist through the veil of his own sympathies and ignoring his more than one problematic trait, he makes Jewell a funny harmless cartoon character, revolving in the twists and turns of a classic movie monument, and it's fun to see how it doesn’t work for the old man anymore.
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For me personally, Clint Eastwood is a safe bet. I’ve always liked him as an actor, and even when he started directing, he hasn't let me down. I enjoyed this film for its great direction, quality screenplay and very good acting performances (especially Sam Rockwell in the role of a serious lawyer). Most importantly, it was another portrayal of the typically American witch hunt.
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A confident Clint Eastwood serves up another compelling true story that is intense and suspenseful from start to finish, and Sam Rockwell has another perfect supporting role! (After Jojo Rabbit for the second time this year). Well acted, interestingly shot, emotional towards the end and overall a very entertaining piece of work where I kept my hands clenched for the entire running time. Praise should also be given to the nasty detective Jon Hamm, the bitchy reporter played by Olivia Wilde, and the unknown Paul Walter Hauser, who also gives a great performance. I hope it's not Eastwood’s last film. 8/10.
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