Writer & Director
Emilio Estevez
(THE WAY, BOBBY)

Stars
Emilio Estevez, Jena Malone, Alec Baldwin, Jacob Vargas, Michael Kenneth Williams, Christian Slater, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union and Jeffrey Wright

After spending greater than the last 6 years in development, it’s rather ironic that this decently engaging little picture ultimately sells itself short by limiting the development of its endlessly curious plot points and characters to the extent it has.

During a freezing winter in the American city of Cincinnati, the staff of a local public library encounter their fair share of colourful customers and strange situations, as shown during an entertaining opening act. Some of those customers, who are frequent patrons at their local library, include Cincinnati’s homeless community led by Jackson (Michael Kenneth Williams). Most of these men (no women among them, for some strange reason!) are on friendly terms with head librarian Stuart (played by writer & director Emilio Estevez), his colleague Myra (Jena Malone) and the library’s head of security, Ernesto (Jacob Vargas). The friendship is tested, however, when the homeless community seek overnight refuge in their local library after their shelter reaches capacity. The situation will eventually involve a detective from the Cincinnati Police Department (played by Alec Baldwin), who is dealing with a personal crisis of his own, and a local district attorney (played by Christian Slater) with political aspirations.

As you are hopefully fathoming from this review, THE PUBLIC is quite capable at summoning our interest as it establishes each separate part of the narrative before they meet. This even includes sub-plots I’m yet to mention, which involves a potential love interest for Stuart (played by Taylor Schilling), forthcoming media attention reported on-site by Rebecca Parks (Gabrielle Union) and the background stories of some of the homeless. Once everything amalgamates and before the situation occurs, THE PUBLIC temporarily plods about as awkwardly as someone who has found a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey in the children’s section! It is from here that THE PUBLIC offers only a glimpse into being the social commentary on homelessness, among other issues, it seems to aspire for. Emilio Estevez’s script addresses its themes from several thought-provoking angles, but opts for a more clear-cut “us versus them” stance for the remainder of the film. I also couldn’t help but think that THE PUBLIC had one heck of an intersecting story at its disposal! Though this drama only borrows such compelling trajectory, it always keeps the banter exchanged between its eclectic characters engagingly written and performed by the ensemble cast.

Worth a look if you’re a person who gains value or enjoyment in picking a side, or if you just enjoy hanging out at the library for a couple of hours!

3 stars 

Viewer Discretion
M (Coarse language)

Trailer
THE PUBLIC

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution for the invite to the screening of this film.

THE PUBLIC is released in selected cinemas throughout Australia from August 1st, 2019.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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