DECEMBER 31, 2019
If the Michael B. Jordan-starring film “Just Mercy” is a glorification of how well the criminal justice system can work, Chinonye Chukwu’s film “Clemency” is just the opposite — how the criminal justice system can destroy one’s good intentions and ultimately grind that person’s spirits down to dust.
Exhibit A: Prison warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard), an intimidating figure — even burly prison guards cower in her presence — whose determined work ethic has brought her to the pinnacle of her profession. But the demands of that profession are beginning to eat at her soul, particularly the necessity of carrying out executions.
As the film begins, Warden Williams is preparing for another execution with all of the necessary duties connected with the process — meeting with the inmate’s family, checking the equipment, setting up the witnesses, etc. But even with everything in place, this execution goes unexpectedly, horribly wrong (be warned: it’s a tough sequence to watch).
To relieve her nerves after this experience, Bernadine seeks solace in the bottle, a recurring behavior which sadly has put a strain on her marriage to the loving Jonathan (Wendell Pierce, wonderful as always). While dedicated to her job, Bernadine realizes that she has another enormous challenge just ahead of her — charismatic inmate Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge) is scheduled to be executed soon, and the crowds supporting him are growing ever larger every day. Coming off that botched execution that is still being investigated statewide, Bernadine can’t afford for this one to go wrong. The only problem is that Bernadine is personally growing closer and closer to Anthony, and she is beginning to have second thoughts about the pending execution.
If the theme of the film and how it’s made sounds oppressively grim, please don’t be put off by it. Because “Clemency” is largely a fascinating character study made even more urgent by the presence of the great actress Alfre Woodard. In the mid-1980s, Woodard exploded on TV viewers’ consciousness, quickly winning four Emmy Awards from 18 nominations. She earned an Oscar nomination for 1983’s “Cross Creek,” but nothing in the 37 years since. Her performance here received much Oscar talk, but given a tough Best Actress, it was not to be. Nonetheless, in my humble opinion, Woodard’s work here is among the very best of the year, be it male or female.
Several critics have compared “Clemency” to “Just Mercy,” given the prison setting for both films. To my mind, however, they couldn’t be more different. “Just Mercy” is essentially a film biography of a crusader who has fought for those unjustly convicted who cannot fight for themselves. It’s designed to be a crowd-pleaser and it completely scores on that front. “Clemency,” on the other hand, has weightier things on its mind as a psychological drama.
Though the film is set in a prison, it has an idea to which everyone can relate — the pressure on your psyche when the responsibilities wearing on you from your job begin to take over your life. And when you have an actress of such abilities as Alfre Woodard to peel back that psychological burden for you, attention must be paid. So when “Clemency” comes to your city, please pay attention.
GRADE: B+
