[yasr_overall_rating]
When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend Carl King devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence.
A shot rings out, the crowd scatters and within a matter of hours an entire life path has changed as a young man who was used to dealing with petty crimes gets charged with murder. This film focuses on several characteristics of the human condition that rise and fall totally depending on the situation at hand. As the diverse plot develops around several personal and social relationships between the citizens of Crown Heights and a broken system of justice, there is a heightened sense of incomprehensible disgust that brings both silence and loud gasps throughout the auditorium.
In 1980, eighteen-year-old Colin Warner (Lakeith Stanfield), who is a native of Trinidad, gets busted by the local Brooklyn, NY police, is framed for murder and given 15 years to life. His childhood friend and fellow Trinidadian, Carl King (Nnamdi Asomugha) supports his innocence from the very beginning, but due to limited means is not able to do anything to immediately help. Over a period of twenty-one years, Carl remains committed to seeing his friend released in spite of the fact that Colin, who once was a strong and willing advocate, has lost all belief in a justice system that has worn him down to the core of his being. In addition to Carl, Antionette (Natalie Paul), a close female friend, has become a part of the coalition to prove Colin’s innocence and eventually becomes a defiant supporter as well as his wife. In the twenty-one years of his incarceration, Colin goes from being shocked at his circumstances to becoming angry and disillusioned and finally to the realization that he must become a model “prisoner” in order to save himself from further destruction. Parallel to the internal self-actualization of Colin, Carl devotes his life to learning the law and becomes a Process Server and fundraising political advocate in order to make the vital connections that will lead to his friend’s release. In 2001, Colin was finally vindicated, but not before having endured the greater part of his adult life in confinement based on false charges.
Director Matt Ruskin tells an amazing story of how he became interested in the Carl King and Colin Warner story after viewing “The American Life” piece and researching it thoroughly in conjunction with his experience as a documentarian. Through this investigation, he was able to meet with the two and was so impressed with their lifelong resilience that he had to do something more to bring this story of brotherhood, blatant racism and false incarceration to the forefront on his own terms. In every element of this film, from characterization to the locality of the events, Matt has done an outstanding job of displaying every element of this true story without fear of repercussion. Nnamdi Asomugha (NFL) and Lakeith Stanfield (Atlanta FX) were outstanding in their roles in this emotionally-charged story that required an insurmountable depth of character in order to be realistic and entertaining at the same time. I can’t say enough about the necessity of constant reminders of the reality that we all live in and the crucial need for each of us to lift up one another regardless of what is at stake. In the end, everyone benefits from the lessons learned through the sacrifices of others that we so easily take for granted. Don’t miss this reigning opportunity for a reality check on the unscrupulous components of the judicial system and the remarkable depth of brotherhood!
In theaters Friday, September 1st
