Public - movie review

Written and directed by an Emilio Estevez who also plays the protagonist in the film, it is a slow moving but engaging affair.

I did not know till I looked him up but this dude is the son of veteran actor Martin Sheen (clearly a stage name) and much different character from the looks of it than his bombastic bro Charlie.

The movie depicts a stand off between a 100 homeless dudes and the Cincinnati police during an epic cold snap in the city. These bums take over the city library as an overnight shelter. In so doing they recruit the librarian played by Emilio to be their voice and their impromptu advocate who also ends up barricaded inside the library.

The film tries to show the disparity between the haves and have nots bordering on being a Marxist propaganda. The characters play their parts with much aplomb including the venerable Jeffrey Wright as the library head.

Of all the actors in the film, one of the Baldwin brothers (I think its Alex) is surprisingly cast in a pensive role of a police negotiator and family man. Set and filmed more like a stage play the camera captures some quiet humor and at times takes cheesy pot shots against the atrocity of law enforcement in America including biases that are prevalent in society. Three out of five.

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