Oliver Matheson’s review published on Letterboxd:
“They’re still the United States government”
Sam Rockwell’s big dick energy going up against Jon Hamm’s small dick energy was the match up I didn’t know I needed.
I’ve been excited for this one for a while, not because of the story but because of Paul Walter Hauser, who has been making me laugh since his guest spot on Always Sunny ten years ago. I love this guy, and the fact that he got a leading role was great news for him and me. I expected to enjoy his performance, but I did not expect to be brought to tears by it.
Richard Jewel is a straightforward drama that is directed with a sure hand and the writing is strong, but ultimately this is a film for the actors, and what a cast. As previously mentioned Hauser is phenomenal, crafting a fully-realized character that isn’t perfect but is still sympathetic, no easy feat. Kathy Bates could have done a lot more, but knocks her mom role out of the park. Rockwell and Hamm are both impressive, obviously, and Olivia Wilde definitely goes from one extreme to another too quick to be believable, but finds some nice beats along the way.
With what is going on this might not be a good time to sow mistrust with the media, but a good story is a good story, and a healthy mistrust of government agencies and the media is never a bad thing. And even that is an overstatement of the film's message, and it seems like Eastwood understands that. The FBI agents and reporters aren’t evil villains, they’re people, just as prone to error as the rest of us, and sometimes the juicy story or the simple answer are too easy not to give in to. But at the end of the day, doing the right thing is what sets us all apart, and that’s a message worth embracing.
“No they aren’t the United States government. They’re just three pricks who work for the United States government”