Everwas

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 film is not worth seeing in the theater--unless, like me, you get a free pass and don't have to pay to see it. It's surprising that a somewhat mainstream horror film could fail so badly in almost every way. The plot is of some interest, but the writers/director fail to exploit the interesting things about the situation and instead revert to stock characters and techniques that fail on almost every level. (For one example, the African American character is driven primarily by lust in the film and wears a shirt that says "Everlast.") In addition, the dialogue is almost all cliche tripe that just emphasizes the ordinary nature of the film.

Most importantly for a film like this, the story is not scary, and is only minimally entertaining. Because the characters are so one-dimensional and superficial, we really have no stake in their journey, and any attempt to draw us in seems contrived and proves unfruitful. Furthermore, there really aren't many scenes that are scary--you would think a Ghost Ship in the middle of the sea would be ripe with some possibility for screams, but instead the film is predictable and nearly bereft of them. (And why else would anyone see a movie like this around Halloween?)

The only reason I gave this movie a 3 rating instead of a 2 is because of one interesting sequence near the end of the second act--a stylish flashback montage aimed at exposition that is really one of the only successful and interesting achievements of the film. This success is short-lived, though, as the ending is unreal and nonsensical. Catch it on cable or not at all.

This is the first time I've seen any work by Olivier Lecot, but I was quite impressed. The short film takes place in a cafe where the gameful search for the perfect mate plays itself out through several rapid encounters. Well worth watching, if you can find it (check IFC or Sundance).