I wasn't really struck by THE INTERRUPTERS at any time during the viewing, except at the very end. I don't really appreciate Steve James' documentary approach to the subject, even, finding it sort of run of the mill for 2012. But at the end of the film, I saw what James was aiming for. Only after seeing the entire film, could I really sort this out, but the film is an attempt at a solid work, where there are no excesses, but only a cleanly edited and essentials-driven film. It tells of Chicago's CeaseFire, a group of past gang members called "Interrupters" who use their knowledge about violence from self experience in order to try and convince current gang members not to kill anybody. What's striking about this is that some of these men committed their crimes only fifteen years or so prior, but that the redemption they seek, and the clear headedness of their attempts, are that of someone who is completely different from the young men that committed the crimes. This is what I got out of THE INTERRUPTERS more than anything else. It's clear in the film that CeaseFire is not as successful as you might imagine. Despite the background of these men being essential, it's still not close enough to the mentality of a current gang member. But the attempts are in a good place, and the ones that worked, I was shocked that they did. A noble film.
★★★ out of Five
No comments:
Post a Comment