X
- 2022
- R
- A24
- 1 h 35 m
- 2022
- R
- A24
- 1 h 35 m
Summary In Elegance Bratton's deeply moving film inspired by his own story, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic trai...
Written By: Elegance Bratton
- 2022
- R
- A24
- 1 h 35 m
- 2022
- R
- A24
- 1 h 35 m
The Inspection
73
7.0
Where to Watch
Summary In Elegance Bratton's deeply moving film inspired by his own story, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic trai...
Written By: Elegance Bratton
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
73
76% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
24% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 33 Critic Reviews
73
76% Positive
25 Reviews
25 Reviews
24% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Inspection isn’t a perfect movie, but there are times when it feels like it’s tantalizingly close.
This well-acted outsider’s-eye view of the inner workings of the US armed forces is fiercely candid, in its condemnation of the brutality that is enmeshed in the training programme, and in its celebration of the bonds and brotherhood that grow between fellow cadets.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
7.0
70% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 10 User Ratings
7.0
70% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
30% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
In this drama about **** within the U.S. Army, Jeremy Pope shines as a black **** man facing contempt from the institution and his mother, who disowns him because of who he is. His acting is raw; you can feel frustration and loneliness in his stare. Animal Collective's score is also a highlight; it defies genre conventions with some unusual yet compelling tunes. The problem with 'The Inspection' is its last act, which gives the impression that enduring abuse will have the reward of acceptance in the end. Also, there's a slight military propaganda feeling in it; it may be involuntary, but the position in which we find the protagonist before the credits roll sure contributes to this thought.
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Bratton, though, is not solely interested in a litany of struggle. He fills The Inspection with style, with spiky humor and alluring edge. It’s a promising feature debut.
The Inspection is best appreciated as a showcase for Woodbine and Union, each taking her or his best big screen dramatic role in years and bringing it home in scene after scene.
Positioned as a work of autobiography from first-time director Elegance Bratton, The Inspection is a flawed, if highly compelling promise of a new talented dramatist in American cinema.
It’s in the film’s queerest moments that things feel most inventive, narratively and visually, as Bratton steps most firmly outside of the hemmed-in army drama formula and finds ways to make his film sit and thrive in the Venn diagram between military machismo and homoeroticism.
The Inspection isn’t a bad movie. Rather it’s a disappointing slog because the arduous journey it sets up should have offered greater returns.
This is the first feature from Elegance Bratton, based on his own experience. When his mother kicked him out for being **** at 16, he spent 10 years homeless before joining the Marines. Most of the movie takes place at the boot camp, where he's continually harassed by other recruits and the officers. This is a small indie that's focused on the people instead of big production values, which is fortunate because the performances are outstanding. Jeremy Pope as the recruit, Gabrielle Union as his mother and Bokeem Woodbine as the drill sergeant are all overflowing with a range of emotions and deep feelings. Additional supporting roles expand the diverse experiences in several directions. There have certainly been other stories of **** men overcoming obstacles, but the fact that this one is true and he's Black adds additional resonance.
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A young **** African-American man (Jeremy Pope) who has been all but cast aside by his **** mother (Gabrielle Union) hopes to prove his worth to her by enlisting in the Marine Corp and enduring several weeks of boot camp in a system that threatens to break someone like him. Written and directed by Elegance Bratton, this film serves as a semi-autobiographical recounting of his time spent in the Marine Corp circa 2005, a time when **** was arguably at one of its highest peak moments. I could clearly feel his own personal struggles whilst watching this film and the experiences he must have went through. And although it's meaningfully told, it still can't help but feel a little cliched at times, especially with the drill instructors (Bokeem Woodbine in particular) feeling like cardboard cutout insert antagonists with several of their scenes and dialogue, along with a rather anticlimatic-feeling final act that left me wanting a little more. On the flipside however, Pope's incredible lead performance is, more often than not, enough to carry the film quite nicely, and Union as his cold, distant mother even turns in a raw supporting performance. Overall, while it's well made and well intended, storywise it comes up a little short due to falling for a couple of narrative cliche traps here and there, along with a handful of stereotypical characters to boot.
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É louvável o esforço do diretor Elegance Bratton em narrar a própria história, e com a ajuda da produtora A24, teve liberdade em expor seu posicionamento, tendo vivido um jovem negro e **** em plena América de Bush, vivenciado a experiência de servir como fuzileiro naval. Sem optar mor modelos de concessão, como a tensa relação com a mãe, que se mantém firme e não romantizada, o filme segue sendo um amontoado de memórias no quartel, expondo a **** e a rotina pesada de preparação para "monstros" (como diz um dos sargentos), ainda que aqui e ali tenha pinceladas naquele microuniverso.
Jeremy Pope consegue acertar no tom entre o **** que precisa manter-se na linha heteronormativa mesmo com trejeitos que soltam aos olhos, mas que não servem para criar caricaturas, ao contrário, mostram conseguiu passar a realidade de muitos ****. Numa cena rápida no vestiário, tudo veio à tona, e na hora que precisa ser mais intimista o filme ora derrapa ora passeia em lugar comum.
A título de injusta comparação, pega-se "A outra história americana", que tem uma cena de estupro em um banheira digna de suar a espinha, numa das melhores cenas de violência já feitas. Como o diretor aqui não tem toda a experiência e o tato para criar uma dimensão mais épica para seu "coming out", o que seria o ponto chave do filme acaba sendo mais uma cena genérica entre tantas que se repetem, como um amontoado de ideias que pouco guardam conexão entre si, tanto é assim que nas cenas seguintes os colegas o expulsam do quarto mas depois já convivem com ele. Para onde nosso protagonista foi passar a noite? Não sabemos. O tom episódico impera, tal qual várias esquetes sendo interpostas para vivenciarmos aquela realidade.
Assim, de quadro em quadro vamos acompanhando o sofrimento do jovem, a inveja de alguns, o desejo de outros, como numa cena fria em que um dos sargentos se sujeita a um sexo oral, mas nada com apego o suficiente para criar um romance. Aliás, ponto positivo para o filme, que por se tratar de um estudo autobiográfico, sabe muito bem aonde quer chegar, ou seja, explora as dores e a pressão do local sobre aquele corpo, não cai em armadilhas fáceis e piegas.
Gostei muito do trato dado à mãe, talvez seja o que há de melhor no filme, um retrato cru e visceral, sem redenção. Há também uma autoconsciência de que todo aquele teatro de farda não passa de uma performance de corpos adestrados, com a parabenização de seu comandante ao final trazendo a ideia de dever cumprido, de que o sofrimento faz parte de um protocolo.
O que me incomoda mesmo não é apenas o tom episódico dos fatos e as interações das cenas resvalarem para o lugar comum, mas principalmente o fato do filme reforçar o mainstream e traduzir o "American way of life" como nos filmes mais tenebrosos de guerra. Diretores como Clint Eastwood, por exemplo, conhecido pela visão conservadora, ainda assim conseguem trazer à tona uma discussão que nos faz refletir sobre o caminho conduzido pelas armas e pela força bruta, pondo diante do espelho o seu próprio país.
Infelizmente em "The inspection" não há este salto qualitativo do particular ao geral, embora com muito esforço é possível traçar um saldo da América armamentista e imperialista, esperava mais de um filme que tem a liberdade para discutir a opressão de forma inclusive multicultural. Nesse sentido, trabalhos como "Moonlight" poderiam servir de referência, o que acabou por tornar este exemplar mais um filme genérico de superação pessoal.
Report
Production Company
A24,
Gamechanger Films,
Freedom Principle,
Oorah Productions,
Enchantedblue Media
Release Date Nov 18, 2022
Duration 1 h 35 m
Rating R
Genres
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Black Reel Awards
• 4 Wins & 10 Nominations
Gotham Awards
• 3 Nominations
