PLOT
Ellis French, a gay young Black man struggling to make ends meet, has a dismal future ahead of him. He joins the Marines in search of direction, but there he encounters a system rife with intolerance. Ellis, though, is unfazed and does not let the challenges he faces discourage him.
Ellis French, an African American gay man, is the novel’s protagonist, which starts in 2005. Ellis decides to join the Marines and enlist after failing to succeed in several ventures and coming dangerously close to drug addiction and loneliness. He then enrolls in a boot camp.
REVIEW
“The Inspection” is a powerful story of determination and strength when faced with tough challenges. The movie is inspired by the director’s own life as a gay man who enlisted in the Marines after 9/11. The movie is about a group of young men who undergo tough training in a Marine boot camp. The main character is gay.
Jeremy Pope portrays Ellis French in practically every frame of the movie, and Pope gives a stunning performance that perfectly depicts the character’s compassion and need for his mother’s praise. Pope rises to the challenge and performs admirably in the hard part of Ellis, who tries to control his conflicted emotions and demonstrate traditional ideas of masculinity.
As the mother, Gabrielle Union performs strongly, convincingly expressing her resentment and regret. Bokeem Woodbine is superb in the character of the intimidating authority figure at the boot camp who uses bullying techniques and a readiness to do whatever it takes to accomplish his objectives to instill fear and apprehension in the recruits.
It’s difficult to imagine that Bratton is a first-time director because his direction hits all the right notes. Bratton’s ability to represent the subject matter with such skill likely benefited from his personal experience dealing with the difficulties portrayed in the movie. The music by Animal Collective contrasts the graphic scenes on screen, adding to the film’s harsh and mournful tone.
Rating: 3/5
“The Inspection” is fundamentally the tale of a person succeeding despite seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, this movie stands out because of its subdued and deliberate attitude, which is a significant strength in the end. These variables lead to a rating of three out of five stars.
Elegance Bratton is the movie’s writer and director, based on actual events in his life. Chester Algernal Gordon and Effie T. Brown are the producers. Jeremy Pope, Ral Castillo, McCaul Lombardi, Aaron Dominguez, Nicholas Logan, and others are among its notable actors. It became available on April 14, 2023. OTT providers will soon make it accessible.
