Detroit (2017)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  9 / 10

  Detroit is yet another hard hitting factual based drama from Kathryn Bigelow. I'm starting to fall in love with her. Zero Dark Thirty is one of the best films of this century and does not get enough credit. Detroit, although not in that league, is still absolutely powerful in every aspect. A film that both informs and thrills the audience of the 1967 Algiers Motel raid in Detroit. An event that is not talked about much, documents and footage of the raid have been scarce and so consequently there are scenarios that are dramatised. This added drama is what prevents Detroit from being a documentary reenactment. It's a clear three act narrative. The first act plays out like a documentary, educating viewers about the riots of Detroit. The second act is the genre shift to a thriller, the motel raid. The third act is the courtroom drama that deals with the legal aftermath. Sure, it's mechanical...but Bigelow directs the heck out of this which is why it feels so raw and powerful. Her directing style is frantic. Constant shakiness and zooming, it involves the viewer...draws them in. An event like this cannot be handled with care and fluffiness. No, it needed to be brutal and Bigelow was the perfect choice. If a film dealing with racism and/or segregation makes me angry inside, it's done its job. If the film does that and engages me throughout its run time...well we have ourselves a home run. Aside from Bigelow being a standout, Will Poulter deserves a lot of recognition. He's come a long way in recent years and believe this is his best performance. John Boyega also gives an understated performance. The violence is savage, but it needed to be. Someone gets hit, you are also going to feel it. My only one criticism is that the ending dragged. When your second act is a thriller, your third act consequently will slow down in pace and unfortunately it slowed down too much. Still compelling, just more at ease. I suspect Detroit will be overlooked during Awards season. It's a shame because this is a powerful important film that has outstanding direction and some strong performances.

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