Richard Jewell

Inspired by the real story of Richard Jewell, the movie named after him is all about how the security guard was accused of bombing the 1996 Atlanta Olympics due to being the one who found the bomb. Hounded by both the FBI and the media, Jewell must prove his innocence despite his odd behavior and certain things from his past. With Clint Eastwood taking on directing duties from a long gestating project that Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio first began in 2014, Richard Jewell is a tragic look at how someone who can be overconfident and wanting to help may end up accused due to how they're perceived. The film has a bit of a slow pace, especially in the beginning, but as it keeps going you get drawn in by Billy Ray's writing and the cast's performance. Paul Walter Hauser, known mostly for supporting and bit roles in movies and television, gives both an astounding lead and break out performance. One of the biggest draws is the relationship Jewell has with his mother, played by Kathy Bates, and his lawyer, played by Sam Rockwell. The chemistry between the three is perfect, though that's not to say that the rest of the cast isn't just as powerful. Though one huge flaw that is hard to ignore is the treatment of the reporter who wrote the initial paper that accused Jewell of the bombing. Olivia Wilde's performance as Kathy Scruggs is good, especially as we see how devoted to her job she is and then her guilt she feels once realizing Jewell's innocence. However, being depicted as agreeing to have sex to get stories is a really unsettling and downright disgusting aspect that even Wilde agreed shouldn't have been done. Besides that, the moments leading up to the bombing are great due to the tension of not knowing when exactly or how large the explosion will be. The music, performances, cinematography, and editing all help in creating enough tension to get your heart rising until it finally happens. Richard Jewell may have a huge and controversial flaw stacked against it, but it is still a powerful and tragic biopic that makes you think that this can, and probably has, happened to anyone. Over all: 100%
2019 top list so far:

1. Jojo Rabbit

2. Judy

3. Avengers: Endgame

4. Knives Out

5. Ready or Not

6. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

7. Doctor Sleep

8. Frozen II

9. Joker

10. The Lighthouse

11. Toy Story 4

12. Hustlers

13. Shazam!

14. Spider-Man: Far From Home

15. Richard Jewell

16. Villains

17. Zombieland: Double Tap

18. Rocketman

19. The Current War

20. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

21. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

22. Ad Astra

23. It Chapter 2

24. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

25. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

26. Hobbs & Shaw

27. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

28. Us

29. Aladdin 2019

30. Pokemon Detective Pikachu

31. Captain Marvel

32. The Lion King 2019

33. Yesterday

34. Pet Sematary 2019

35. The Upside

36. Dark Phoenix

37. Cold Pursuit

38. Glass