Richard Jewell Review
Whatever your personal opinions may be, it’s undeniable that Clint Eastwood is a titan of the entertainment industry. He’s only getting older and yet it seems that we can still always count on a film from him every year. There’s certainly no sign of him slowing down and with all the projects he’s working on, there are bound to be some hits and misses. Richard Jewell sits somewhere in the middle of the two.
Following the true investigation of the Atlanta bombing at the 1996 Olympics, Richard Jewell is a scathing depiction of what can go wrong when the media and authorities act irresponsibly. Getting right into the swing of things, the opening ceremony celebration starts the story off with a good energy. As Eastwood transitions into the chaos surrounding the bombing, he gives you no time to breath or relax as people scramble to safety.
Then, that initial pace dies down and the film really takes its time to tell this true-life event. A more frantic pace may have fit Richard Jewell better. It feels that Eastwood knows he’s cemented his place in Hollywood and only cares to make films on his own terms. If he wants to draw things out, that’s how it’s going to be, no questions asked. Sometimes that can work but with its lack of any real score or soundtrack, it all combines to feel somewhat stagnant and emotionless for most of its runtime. It makes up for some if it by the end, yet you wonder whether Eastwood is getting too comfortable operating in one gear. His films are all starting to feel very similar.
The highs of Richard Jewell all revolve around the acting. Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, and Paul Walter Hauser all deliver very strong performances. Paul Walter Hauser especially feels destined to play his role and it’s disappointing that he isn’t getting more awards buzz. The respect shown between him and Rockwell’s characters is subtle but effective. Rockwell’s turn from his initial distrust of his client to his complete belief in his innocence is expertly acted. The actress who plays his Eastern European assistant also deserves a shout-out for her small but impactful role.
The subsidiary roles are what feel replaceable. Jon Hamm’s FBI agent and Olivia Wilde’s reporter characters feel like very stereotypical portrayals and have no real nuance to them. They do the job but perhaps making them more layered would have added to the overall story. As is, they seem like nothing other than reckless jerks.
Richard Jewell is, at its heart, a critique on both the FBI and media. While it initially places blame on the FBI’s irresponsibility, it also turns into a hard-hitting depiction of how suffocating and unrelenting the media can be. In the end, both glob onto one specific narrative and refuse to question it. It’s understandable that people who know Olivia Wilde’s character are upset. She doesn’t come off as a very likable figure. At the same time, films always need to take certain liberties and people do get way too easily offended nowadays. There is also a useful lesson on how misguided you can be when you blindly follow your idols and the ending emotional beats do work. Richard Jewell is kind of a mixed bag but in the end it still has enough good to be worth a watch.
