‘Two men look out from prison bars, one saw mud, the other the stars...’
My biggest fear is wrongful imprisonment. Not ghosts. Not murderers. Not McDonalds discontinuing banana milkshake. No. For me, the concept of being imprisoned for something you didn’t do, particularly something really heinous like sexual assault, is my absolute worst nightmare. Part of what makes it such a horrifying prospect is how common it is. In 1982 Walter Forbes was imprisoned for arson and murder. He served 37 years. New evidence proved his innocence and he was released in November 2020. Vincent Ellerbe, James Irons, and Thomas Malik served 25 years in prison after a man was doused in petrol and set on fire in New York City. They were exonerated having already served THEIR ENTIRE SENTENCE in 2022. These are just two examples of hundreds. And so, to Brian Banks…
When budding NFL star Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge) is tried and convicted of sexual assault (despite no physical evidence) it appears that his life is over. After serving his sentence and dealing with life as a registered sex offender, his perseverance in attempting to clear his name eventually attracts the attention of Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) from the California Innocence Project. Together, the two of them must overcome insurmountable odds and the absurdity of the American justice system to enable Banks to live a normal life.
Yet another example of a grave miscarriage of justice then (cinema is full of them), and another example of at least one life ruined due to incompetence of those entrusted with balancing the scales of justice. Director Tom Shadyac, most well known for a string of hugely popular 90’s comedies (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor) applies no bells and whistles to this gruelling story of terrible injustice, instead allowing Banks and his ordeal to speak for itself. The result is a film that often struggles to stand out from the crowd, but one that is a nice easy watch and an inspirational tone. If you’ve watched every other sports movie out there, Brian Banks is a nice sports adjacent film to settle down with.
Despite strong performance from Hodge and Kinnear, Brian Banks is not bringing anything new to the table cinematically, but it is an ultimately uplifting story told with skill and passion. Worth a look.