Review of Richard Jewell (2019) by Deanomite — 17 Jan 2020

This was the best movie of the year. it is about our Constitutional rights and how rogue government destroys well meaning con•sci•en•tious individuals. Eastwood is a master of character development, and a big part of that is showing the flaws.

Richard Jewell is a very flawed individual, seems mildly autistic. But he provides a valuable service and is happy to help and is deeply empathetic. Arguably the most complete character in an Eastwood movie.

And well portrayed by John Paul Hauser. Excellent casting choices of Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell and John Hamm, every single one a good actor with a chance to breathe a little. It was very surreal to see the crazy guy correct.

There is a lesson in all this, it is that people are trash. The FBI, media and employers would never have behaved in this fashion if anything else were true. Decent people are an island in an ocean.

I was incredibly moved when he said he is not allowed to talk to people anymore, I have recently reached the same conclusion for different reasons, that is brilliant filmmaking. All I can say is Sam Rockwell definitely earned his Snickers.

I cried when he said his mom only got to be proud for 3 days of her son, I cried a lot at this movie, like watching The Elephant Man win. This is Jungian individual vs collective at it's best, with some Kafka arbitrary justice thrown in, bravo Clint Eastwood, mastering philosophy and contemporary Constitutional rights at once.

The crazy guy walked away disappointed with the incompetence of the government.