The Central Park Five is a documentary about the false imprisonment of 5 minority teens. A woman was raped and beaten in 1989 in central park. At the same time a group of 25-30 kids were roaming around the park causing trouble. The cops picked up a number of kids and after 30 plus hours of interrogations and coercion the kids confessed simply to get out of the police station. The film follows the story with found footage, interviews from the five teens now adults as well as lawyers, journalists, and a social psychologist.
The film lays out in no uncertain terms the innocence of the Five as well as the tactics used by the NYPD to solicit their confession. It goes into the fervor of the time in which they were convicted and the racist picture painted in the press. It seems the lawyers defending the Five didn't even believe in their innocence and gave halfhearted defences.
The film is sad and jarring there's no doubt. But there is something uplifting about the Five. Their ability to preserver, their chance to finally get the truth out. The film details the gaping flaws in our justice system and the racial prejudice that comes into play. The charges were dropped in 2001 when the perpetrator of the crime finally confessed but at that point the Five had all done their time. Time they cannot get back.
See It.
Life Of Pi is a heart warming story about perseverance in the face of adversity. It follows a boy after a shipwreck as he survives on a life boat with a tiger. The imagery is powerful, the narration potent, the story up lifting. But it leaves something to be desired. I don't know if its because I've read the book but I feel like there is something missing. Maybe all stories that you know going into lose some of the magic. The film was good but after reading the book it wasn't really worth it. If you haven't read the book:
See It. If you have:
Rent It.
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