Richard Jewell (2019)

When I first saw the trailer for Richard Jewell, I was immediately interested. The trailer gave off a conspiracy type vibe which is a topic I'm very much into. Seeing that John Hamm was in it also made me want to go see it, as I'm a fan of both his roles in Good Omens and Black Mirror. 

This review for the most part is...spoiler free? As it's based on real life events that most people know about I feel I don't need to hide any details. 

I didn't know much about the original events, as I was born a year after they happened. Still I decided to go in with only knowing the bare basics and what the trailer gave me. This might have made the movie more interesting to me. Cleverly enough, in a sense, the trailer had tricked me as well. I had assumed from the trailer that he was being outright framed for the bombing, not just investigated, which was what really caught my attention. So I guess I feel tricked but I still loved the movie regardless so I guess it worked well for them.

Richard Jewell is portrayed in a very empathetic manner and I related to him right away. The filming kept my attention before the bombing even occurs, and the audience is very obviously on his side. When the bombing happens, the accusations don't come up right away and we get to feel happy for Richard who is praised for his actions.

I don't much about how the FBI fully operates, but I was never confused while watching the film. The story flows really well and isn't confusing to follow at all. We get to see the story from multiple angles as well, not just from Richards which I think is a very good touch. The emotional impact of the investigation is also portrayed very well.

I enjoyed the cinematography in this as well. The shots are very nice to look at and the film did a good job at adding in a few 90's references (80s too at the very beginning) which made me feel like I was in those eras. 

As a whole, Richard Jewell is a very well crafted nonfiction film, with an important message on how the media and public exposure can impact the lives and families of individuals.