The Public

This amazing movie shows you the tip of the iceberg of the heart of libraries and why they are the most important organizations in our communities. After laughing, crying, and cheering, i jumped up for a standing ovation on this portrayal of the profession I've dedicated my life to for over thirty years. Thank you Emilio Estevez, the cast, and crew for this film.

This is a surprisingly delightful film. Surprised by the marks it's received on this site, as seems a generally negative opinion from the mainstream critics and lukewarm from the rest. Fair enough, but really it's a basic humbling tale.

Old star favourite Emilio Estevez is still looking great, and is incredibly the director, writer & main star of this movie. He is a librarian who finds himself helping a standoff in a library for the homeless against the establishment. There is a fine stellar cast to support Estevez including Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Slater and MK Williams, and they all play their roles well.

This is a tale that thankfully avoids the worst possible cliches & schmaltz that could have occurred in the writing. It walks a fine line. The good side is the humanity it shows across the character. Excluding Christian Slater's desperate politico, all the other characters are written with some empathy. MK Williams stars as like a man whom his former foes in The Wire would have been targeting. 'Rhymefest' steals the show as one of the homeless in a wonderful portrayal which is touching.

In truth there is nothing taxing here for any of the actors, but it's wonderful for all the actors, and the on-screen camaraderie makes it a joy to watch.

It's a well made movie which I'm certain all will enjoy. Fine humour and direction, and deserves more credit than it's got so far from what I can see. It's no big budget movie, but does what it wants to say & do perfectly.

If you want a pick me up, then grab a coffee and please give this one a viewing. A very pleasant watch.

Just when you are fed up with the stupidity of most movies these days, and fear that craps like marvel will devour the whole cinema , that is when a bright ray of sunshine gives you hope in the form of "The Public".

And who better to do this than talented Mr Esevez? Just when you are longing for masterpieces like Breakfast Club, he travels from that school library and lands in another library to tell us this moving story.

It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It makes you happy and it makes you sad. But most importantly it gives you hope. Thank you Mr Estevez for this beautiful 'sunshiny' day.

It's the middle of the winter in Cincinnati, and there's a killing freeze. At the main public library, the homeless are looking for a litle warmth, as well as a way to fill their days. One of the senior librarians, Emilio Estevez, doesn't want them them out in the deadly cold. Instead, he lets them stay overnight, and stays with them, as aspiring politician Christian Slater tries to get the police to turn it into a law-and-order coup for him, and police negotiator Alec Baldwin tries to understand what is going on.

It's Estevez' sixth movie as director, and his first film appearance in eight years, and it's simultaneously hopeful, depressing and inspiring, with Steinbeck's THE GRAPES OF WRATH frequently referenced. It's also a fine piece of film making, with something to say about many of the subjects that concern people who still like to think with head and feel with their hearts: the purpose and survival of libraries, the mental health crisis, the inability and unwillingness of society to deal with its issues. Estevez's performance is low-key, and affecting, letting the situation and his despair leak into the audience. Other fine performances include Gabrielle Union as a TV news reporter looking for an easily understood narrative, Geoffrey Wright as Estevez' sympathetic and beleaguered boss, and Rhymefest as one of the mentally ill homeless.

Director Emilio Estevez did a superb job of balancing many societal issues, homelessness, societal loneliness, the importance of libraries, all while interjecting humor & surprises. It captures reality and gives you different perspectives of homelessness. Great film.