Un coupable idéal

You know, before seeing this film I had little sympathy for those caught up in criminal cases. I mean if they were arrested and charged, "they must have been guilty" I reasoned?

I formed this opinion over some years. You see a good friend of mine once worked as a detective in some of the more seedy areas of Sydney. He frequently complained that his policing efforts were wasted due to 'bleeding heart' lawyers and magistrates. He would "bang the crooks up in the morning and they would be "back on the street by noon". It took its toll... they wore him down. He quit.

He has argued since, not unreasonably I thought, that creative evidence gathering, to keep the baddies "where they belong", was... well... "acceptable".

My arguments about the rights of innocent people weren't valid he claimed. "What are the chances that you will ever be arrested and charged with a serious crime"? he would argue. And, being a law abiding citizen, the weight of his argument convinced me he was right. The chances of me, or any of my family or friends, being charged with murder or a serious offense were zero to none I thought.

Hmmmmm. Well as mentioned earlier, seeing this wonderfully enlightening documentary changed all that.

I'm sending him a copy.

I don't need to say much about how good this documentary is--it's truly an amazing piece of true narrative. The story is simple enough: a white senior citizen tourist is murdered by a young black man in Florida, and the boy who is arrested is mistreated and put on trial with only the public defender and his family on his side. It's very enthralling, and the public defender is a joy to watch in all his human ways--you can't help but pull for the triumph of justice, and the ending fulfills more than could be expected of a true story.

It's a shame more people haven't seen this documentary, but hopefully you will find a way to watch it. For those interested in race relations in the United States, and the actual workings of law enforcement and the legal process, it's well worth your time and effort to find this documentary. I give it a 10.

This stunning documentary captures a mesmerizing and deeply touching courtroom drama that will make you shout out in rage as well as cry. And you will cheer at a man who is a real-life hero; an angry, chain-smoking warrior whose commitment and dedication to this case provide a shining example for how EVERY defense attorney should work when there is so much at stake for the accused (alas, in real life, real justice mostly seems to be reserved for Hollywood movies). This film will stay with you long after you finished watching. 9 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

I happened to leave HBO on last night following Six Feet Under. What ran next has left me speechless. What an incredible piece of work. I don't just recommend this, I MANDATE that you see this. It's better than anything Hollywood could ever ruin. I just hope they never get their hands on it.

Hollywood could not have written this story. Thank God for

documentaries! This story is the frightening tale of a young, unassmuing

black teenager who is wrongfully accused the murder of an elderly white

female tourist. The police are arrogant, corrupt and shameless. The prosecutor seemed

almost non-chalant in her pursuit of the facts and the husband of the

victim was a victim of his own grief and bias. The heroes are the family of the accused and the defense attorney. The

filmmaker was so priveledged to be allowed into the home and church of

the young man's family. The warmth of scenes in the family's church were

well juxtaposed with the sterile wood paneled cortroom. This film should

be required viewing at every police academy in the