Film Review: THE INSPECTION (2022): Elegance Bratton’s Film Features a Star-Making Performance by Jeremy Pope

The Inspection Review

The Inspection (2022) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Elegance Bratton and starring Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine, Raúl Castillo, McCaul Lombardi, Nicholas Logan, Eman Esfandi, Aaron Dominguez, Aubrey Joseph, Andrew Kai, Tyler Merritt, Steve Mokate, Brad Napp, Daniel Williamson and Wynn Reichert.

Filmmaker Elegance Bratton’s film, The Inspection, is a very captivating drama. It’s probably better to go in knowing very little about the picture’s plot because it’s threadbare. What makes the movie standout, however, is some top-flight acting especially by the film’s lead actor, Jeremy Pope, who creates a fully fleshed out character named Ellis French who the audience will find themselves invested in for the duration of the movie. Pope makes his performance stand out thanks to its authentic feel and the overall complexity of the role. Pope’s character is written tremendously well. Ellis is a gay young Black man who is homeless when we first meet him. Ellis defies his mom, Inez (Gabrielle Union)’s expectations when he joins the Marines but does he have what it takes to push himself to the extent in which he will be tested?

When Ellis shows up at his mother Inez (a prison guard, by trade)’s apartment, there is a sense of awkwardness. Ellis needs his birth certificate and Inez is not sympathetic to what Ellis is experiencing in his life. We get to see in the opening scenes of the picture the very minimalist existence Ellis is going through. It feels like he has hit a bottom that would test any human being but Ellis possesses the spirit that will help him try to defy the odds and make something out of himself that his mom could be proud of. I say could because she has rejected him because he is gay. Could her perception of her son change? By the time the movie reaches its powerful conclusion, there is that possibility.

Ellis is bullied by a commanding officer named Sgt. Laws (the terrific Bokeem Woodbine) who will make Ellis endure things that are beyond what are traditionally expected and Woodbine succeeds in making us despise Laws for much of the movie. He pushes the boundaries of what is necessary and does unjust things to make Ellis suffer. Another officer, Rosales (Raúl Castillo), is an expertly created character in the picture who challenges both Laws and Ellis throughout the picture. There’s also a Muslim recruit named Ismail (Eman Esfandi) who is suffering from prejudices that derive from the circumstances surrounding him. It should be noted that the time period the movie is set in is around 9/11.

There’s a shower scene where Ellis is targeted because of something which occurs. It is a heartbreaking scene and Pope captures the character he plays to a tee as he becomes entrapped in a situation that could easily happen and it’s hard for Ellis to know what to do. Ellis is a strong-willed individual but has sensitivity that he quickly learns won’t get him too far in the initial stages of his training. Yet, he makes it through boot camp and even becomes an exemplary candidate.

In this film, there’s a sequence where one of the characters hugs Ellis and then asks if this action makes him gay. It’s a welcome scene of comic relief in a movie that’s chock full of heaviness. This was certainly not an easy story to tell and the director, Elegance Bratton, keep the picture focused at all times with solemn and intense scenes that make us respect Ellis for who he is and what he wishes to become.

This movie would be a bit less admirable without its closing scenes. When Ellis and his mom, Inez, reunite, they go out to a restaurant to celebrate an accomplishment. Union and Pope play off each other with a precision that makes their last scene feel like it’s taken the plot somewhere we probably never expected it to go. Ellis writes to his mother while he is in training but when he finally sees her face-to-face, it’s a moment of joy for Ellis, yet he remains uncertain of how Inez will accept his choices. Union, quite simply, hits the audience hard with her ultra realistic performance that is one of the most affecting supporting turns of the year. If she had more screen time, she’d be guaranteed to receive an Oscar nomination.

The Inspection is a bit slight in terms of the way it ultimately ends. It almost feels like it’s missing a couple of key scenes but that doesn’t lessen its impact as much as it could have. Pope holds the viewer’s attention with a layered and brave turn that is one of the star-making performances of the year. Castillo is nothing short of terrific bringing to life a significant character who could have had a smaller part in a lesser picture.

It should be mentioned that Woodbine also carries a lot of The Inspection‘s success on his shoulders. There are more people like Sgt. Laws in the world than we’d like to admit and to Woodbine’s credit, the performance never feels fake or heightened for dramatic purposes. It’s authenticity is a testament to Woodbine’s fine talents as an actor.

The Inspection makes an impact on the viewer that will likely linger for a long time after the closing credits roll. In wanting more from the picture, perhaps, that’s a true testament to the film’s strengths more than its weaknesses.

Rating: 7/10

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