Review: "The Burial"
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Hey Mofos!
I'm back with another movie review! Let me know in the comments if these are helpful.
This time I went to check out the new Jamie Foxx film "The Burial."
Now with it being close to Halloween chile, I thought this was about to be a horror movie so I chose a seat close to the exit cuz I don't play those games. I didn't really look into what the film was about because one, dealing with grief, and two, I figured with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, it's gonna be good no matter what.
What's the film about? I'm glad you asked! Here's the synopsis:
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.Chile, at first I thought the film was going to be about Jamie as a preacher because of how the film starts out in the church. But things get to cooking when we find out that Jeremiah O'Keefe has been duped by some shady businessman. Willie Gary is a slick talking personal injury lawyer that showed OUT in the courtroom. So much that I was sitting there like, can I hire this man to be my lawyer for everything?! Anyhoo, the film is set in the 1990s.
Jerry, aka O'Keefe, ends up in some financial trouble and his lawyer, Mike Allred, played by Alan Ruck, suggests he sell some of his fune homes to Ray Loewen (Bill Camp), head of the Loewen Group. They shake it out over crab legs and lobster on a boat in Canada. You can immediately tell that Loewen is up to no good and doesn't give a darn about a thing but himself and his interests. The Loewen Group is snapping up small fune homes across the U.S and making money off of that plus high burial insurance.
Young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) is brought on board to help Allred but when the contract and money are taking too long to settle, he sense something ain't clean in the milk. Allred looks like he wants to call Hal, "boy" but anyhoo, he dismisses Hal's spidey senses. But Jerry is convinced so they go looking for a lawyer to guarantee them a win, and they settle on Willie Gary, a flashy personal injury lawyer who hasn't lost a case in 12 years. Add in Jurnee Smollett's character, Mame Downes, and you have a showdown in the courtroom from racism to the audacity, it's never a dull moment.
Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes and Jamie Foxx as Willie Gary in The Burial Photo credit: Skip Bolen
This film is based on a true story. The Loewen Group did offer to buy O'Keefe's fune home biz but proceeded not to complete the contract, so the film is based on the actual case.
I loved seeing all of the Black lawyers and it had me wanting to enroll in somebody's law school but since I just got free of my student loans I ain't doing all that.
I also loved how well Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx just vibed together even on the plane listening to 90s music.
This film made me realize that Foxx's character Willie was trying to stay in his personal injury legal box, afraid to take the leap because he wouldn't win. Then once he decided to take on the challenge, he couldn't let others control the ship. It reminded me that we shouldn't stay in a box and shouldn't allow others or ourselves to say we have to be good at only one thing. Step outside the box and GO BIG!
So, should you see the film? YES! It gives you a reason to root for the underdog and slide in a few cackles while watching this legal drama.
You can watch in select theaters now or on Prime Video starting October 3.
Let me know what you think!
~Meik
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