Didn't have any reasons not to watch the new Amazon film. It has Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Fox on the cover. What could go wrong? Nothing. It is not a masterpiece but it is a piece of history you should know that happens inside the courtroom and it is worth two hours from your time.
It all begins with a funeral business owner that is going to lose all his savings and he turns into the least expected lawyer to turn to. It is a story about a small business owner against the greedy corporate, but it is also a story about race differences, bridging between those and also about unexpected friendships, that are forged through this long path of the trial.
TLJ and Fox demonstrate an amazing chemistry and this movie works, a lot, because this special bond. The story is great and written well and has a lot of comic relieves in it, to break any tension or drama and those pauses are not taking over the movie, but blend perfectly into the plot and general tone of it.
The movie is almost light headed, but when a real dramatic pause is needed, it knows its way around thanks to its director - Maggie Betts on her third movie as a director. She manages to collect an impressive team of actors, which contains some veterans like Bill Camp, Pamela Reed (Always Phoebe O'Hara from the " Kindergarten Cop") and even Alan Ruck (that I'll never forget from his appearances in "Spin City").
Betts also wisely uses two bright youngers stars on a great performances as Jurnee Smollett and the young Mahershala Ali look-A-Like: Mamoudou Athie. It's just a fantastic movie that couldn't get higher, due to his leaning of a true story, but in a most dramatic and anticipated way. Good job and waiting for Betts next projects, in order to see if she fulfills the promising career that is expected from her.
