Brian Banks

CinemaSerf

The true story of American football star Brian Banks who was sent to jail - not only for a crime that he didn't commit; but for a crime that never happened in the first place! Aldis Hodge plays the role with quite some aplomb - he doesn't present us with a saint, but nor a terrible sinner either. Greg Kinnear is on form as his lawyer who trusts in his honest integrity and along with his "Innocence Project" team manages to get the whole crime reviewed in the courts. The story was well enough documented at the time, so there is no jeopardy in the plot; what this does illustrate is that the legal system is frequently flawed, and that part of the benefits of our society is that we are prepared to acknowledge that and deal with the consequences - albeit after an interminably long and frustrating period of time. Banks went on to success and to inspire hope amongst similarly wrongly convicted prisoners. We are left with a clear message that these fights are ongoing - and that men are frequently the victims!