User reviews

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.

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.

I liked this movie it was different. Told a strong story and had a deep meaning. The cast is very good too with a nice variety of famous faces. Omar reading.

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.

When I saw this, there were only 2 of us in the theater and that's a shame since this is a good movie that should be seen by everyone. Good acting, direction and writing. It needs more publicity!

... when the night temperature plummets and they take shelter in the public library supported by some of the staff, much to the annoyance of a local politician - outstanding performances all round in a film you'll want to revisit again and again.

I laughed, I cried, I cheered. This was a movie shining a bright light on some dark things in a very entertaining way. Captivating

"The Public" (2018 release; 122 min.) brings the story of Stuart and a group of homeless people. As the movie opens, after an old B&W TV ad for recruiting librarians, we get some gorgeous shots of downtown Cincinnati, and then quickly shift to Stuart, who is about to start his shift at the Main Library as one of the main librarians. It is bitterly cold, and a homeless group can't wait for the library to open so they can get so much needed warmth and shelter. Meanwhile, Stuart is called in by his boss: it turns out the library has been sued by someone claiming discrimination (he was forced to leave the library because of many complaints about his body odor). The Hamilton County Prosecutor, who is about to run for Mayor, sees this as a major problem. Back in the library, the homeless grow restless and fearful of spending another night out in the open, as there is no let-up on the cold spell... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest labor of love from director/producer/writer/actor Emilio Estevez (who plays the Stuart role). Here he find a social and political sensitive topic: what to do with the many homeless in this country's big cities. Estevez has assembles an all-star ensemble cast: Alec Baldwin is a Cincinnati Police Department detective and crisis negotiator; Christian Slater is the Prosecutor with ambitions for higher office; Micheal K. Williams is the 'front person' of the homeless who want to "Occupy" the Main Library; Taylor Schilling is the building manager Stuart's apartment building (and love interest). The cast is an impressive list. And for the first hour or so, the movie clips along nicely. Alas in the second hour, the movie gets bogged down in the negotiations between CPD and the homeless, and Estevez moves about with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. A darn shame. Not to mention that the movie is far too long, and could easily have been trimmed by 15-20 min. (if not more) without losing any of its essence and message. Kudos to the photography, which is excellent. And if you are amazed how big the Main Library building seems to be, you are right! It is a maze, and the film conveys that nicely. Did you know that the Cincinnati/Hamilton County library system is by circulation the second largest in the entire country (only New York City's is busier, with of course a much larger population).

"The Public" premiered last Fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, and opened in a limited release last weekend. Because the movie was filmed entirely here in Cincinnati (where I live), in early 2017, it received a nice boost from the art-house theater where it is showing, with a release on the largest screen it has. The Thursday early evening screening where I saw this at was, not surprisingly for a Thursday, not well attended (7 people, including myself). I really, really wanted to like this movie more, and I certainly do not mind having seen it. But the weak script, in particular the movie's second half, leave me no choice but to give it a mixed rating. Of course I encourage you to check it out, be it at the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

Just need to balance it out, here. Alec didn't ruin the movie. It was pretty damn good all around.

Homelessness in winter can cost lives. The occupation of a public building as a night shelter appears to be a life saver, yet it is illegal.

Which is the greater good: public order or saving lives, and what do the media leave out in their reports?

The viewer must find his own answer, because the movie only asks the questions.

Regretfully, there is very little drama, that could give the viewer an experience of the hardship of homelessness or its alternatives. All figures are placed on the chessboard but the movie fails to entertain.

Don't pass on the issue though: Structures may be faulty, homeless may be lazy, but it all comes down to a person equal to you and me.

That moment when Taylor Schilling says "I'll see you in jail" Haha Didn't help I couldn't shake seeing her as Piper Chapman the whole film.

The Public has quite the impressive cast. It's a strange little film though. I enjoyed it, but something prevented it from being amazing, or something I'd be talking about in years to come.

It highlights some really important issues plaguing society. I felt the film had a lot of heart and was never condescending to any group of society. There were a lot of great understated performances in this. The 2 hour runtime seemed to go by quickly for me. I could relate to many aspects of library life that were depicted. Many of the characters felt familiar.

The film just said what it had to say about the importance of libraries and the plight of the homeless, and then it just seemed to end. Worthwhile to check out if you're into libraries, Emilio Estevez or issues plaguing society.

I don't know why you couldn't see anyone's breath, but I live in Cincinnati & was downtown for much of the filming. It was quite cold that week.

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.

Very enjoyable. Great to see Emilio again and a wonderful performance in the leading roll. A clever reflection of life from attitudes to the homeless to how situations can be manipulated by the press. Nice blend of drama and humour. Would definitely recommend.

The triumphant return of Emilio Estévez to the screen. A situation drama. It's about some homeless people who, because of the cold in the city, make the decision to protect a night in the public bookstore and the way they want to make them come out as if they had criminals. He talks about the manipulation of the media, the political environment and charity, all addressed in an interesting way. A successful management. Quality Deep without falling into pedantry. The spectacular performances. With emotional and funny moments. You are hooked by the situations shown on the screen.

Film from the United States on the problem of homelessness in winter weather. Everything is very human and warm even among the bad guys. No superpower was used at all.

A large group of homeless men are so cold that they stage an all night sit in protest in the public library run by Emilio Estevez who joins their crusade. Top cop Baldwin and politically ambitious Slater face off to the men.

The social message is a sound one and there are quite a few enjoyable and compelling scenes. There is though plenty wrong with this film. Some of the characters seem over the top or just ill fitting to the tone of the film. Slater's character seems to want to be a Bond villain and Estevez just seems to be playing eccentric and dithering for no apparent reason. Some of the plot points and script are a bit thin and waiver between a semi serious approach and a lightweight almost comic one. A good cast overall though with Michael K Williams winning any acting honours. Bit disappointing.

I really liked this film. The reviews I saw mentioned that it had no ending, no resolution, which is true, but neither does the problem with homelessness in our society. I think it accurately reflects an urban library setting. I'd pay to see it again.

Great premise. Great production design. Perfectly cast. Fairly well written. I don't agree with every creative choice the filmmakers made. The movie left me wanting more, I kept waiting for things to go to another level or escalate a bit more, I appreciate the characters and the subject matter. I didn't want a brawl, I didn't want the film to turn into John Q but I was hoping it would build more pressure, or do a little more, it IS a movie after all. Good movie overall, worth watching, left me wanting more. Give Estevez more money, make sure the 3rd act is worthy of the first and second act. Best $1.80 I ever spent.

Great movie except every scene that Alec Baldwin appeared in. The great stage actor Ronnie Mund would have been a much better choice.

"The public library is the last bastion of democracy that we have in this country!" Anderson (Jeffrey Wright)

A challenge to democracy, a defense of the first amendment, and a complex standoff between police and protesters is what writer/ director Emilio Estevez expertly does in the docudrama, the Public. With echoes of Dog Day Afternoon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Estevez gives an authentic feel to this urban drama in one of the country's most conservative communities,

Like Dog Day's Sonny, protagonist Stuart Goodson (Estevez) is an innocent caught in his idealism and foolishness. Stuart manages a library and becomes involved in a homeless demonstration on perhaps the coldest Cincinnati night. The sufferers want refuge in the library, and the city erroneously considers their sit-in to be a hostage situation.

With the always interesting Alec Baldwin as Detective Ramstead negotiating, the scene gets tense, but Stuart is cool enough to keep talks going without giving in. Other characters are equally underwritten such as Jena Malone's librarian and Christian Slater's prosecutor/mayoral candidate. Especially the homeless characters, most are underdeveloped or emblematic of a single trait.

Stuart, however, is fully written but too goody for my taste. Although the writer/director clearly supports the protesters' point of view, the screenplay also allows moments when the authorities can be praised for keeping the peace but criticized for neglecting the plight of the homeless. With this complex characterization and motives, Estevez find a satisfactory drama amid some obvious stereotypes and clichés.

It's a good story played out everyday in different forms. The plight of the homeless and disadvantaged is eternal.