"Just Mercy" inspires, uplifts and manages to avoid the usual cliches, thanks to quiet performances by Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. 3 stars, rated "PG-13."
"Just Mercy" offers a contemporary twist on "To Kill a Mockingbird." Based on the work of Harvard-trained lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who moved to Alabama to open a center helping the wrongly accused. Jamie Foxx plays Walter "Johnny D." McMillian, convicted of killing a white woman, in spite of evidence to the contrary. "Just Mercy" includes the usual courtroom speechifying, as well as racist lawmen delivering injustice. Brie Larson adds heft to the cast, as a local activist volunteer. What could have been a cliched, inspirational yawn works, thanks to Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. If you ever have the chance to hear the lawyer in the story (Stevenson) speak, take it.
