The Burial review: A riveting ‘David vs Goliath’ courtroom drama

3.5/5

Story: Set in ‘90s Mississippi, America, local funeral home business owner Jeremiah O’Keefe decides to sell a part of his family business due to financial constraints. However, when the multimillion-dollar corporation which initially agreed to a business deal with Jeremiah decides to manipulate him into surrendering his business for cheap, Jeremiah decides to take matters to court. He recruits the services of a charismatic lawyer, Willie E. Gary to help him win the case against a giant company.

Review: If one is familiar with John Grisham’s A Time to Kill and its film adaptation, starring Matthew McConaughey, then one would be well versed with how race, power, politics, and the law are intertwined in the state of Mississippi. The fictional story about the trial of Carl Lee Hailey, written by Grisham, is a riveting story about a murder trial. The Burial, however, might not be a legal battle that ensues in the aftermath of heinous crimes, but it is quite simply a case about contractual law in Mississippi. While it might not sound like the most glamorous premise for a courtroom drama, the film’s narrative unravels a web of racial and socio-political challenges that renders the case far more compelling than it appears on the surface.

Lead stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones deserve immense praise for elevating the scenes they share on-screen. Foxx’s turn as the unorthodox, charismatic, and successful Black lawyer from Florida and Jones’ as an elderly White businessman from Mississippi might be an unusual pair, but the chemistry between the two is undeniable. The fact that the story is loosely based on a true story makes it all the more compelling. Both characters and their traits are quickly established within the opening minutes of the film’s runtime, and it quickly becomes evident that a Grisham-style story is inevitable.

While race is a vital component of the film’s narrative, it also serves as a commentary on the recent dual actors and writers strikes in Hollywood. It explores how a funeral company worth billions would rather resort to unethical practices to take over businesses rather than pay a relatively nominal fee. The big studios in Hollywood have been accused of paying their executives millions, while most writers and actors barely make minimum wage. The most suitable cinema dialogue for this ordeal can be summed up by Anne Hathaway’s line as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises: “…you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.” It is staggering how the real company The Loewen Group exploited marginalised and destitute communities, during a period of personal loss and grieving.

O’Keefe and Gray’s remarkable journey as attorney and client to close friends is a heartwarming tale of perseverance and it restores faith in the ideas of truth, ethics, and justice. The feel-good factor of the film would not have been sufficient alone to transform it into an engrossing story symbolic of the biblical tale of David and Goliath. The film is well-edited and directed meticulously by filmmaker Maggie Betts and features all the elements of an engaging courtroom drama. The supporting cast of Jurnee Smollett, Alan Ruck, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, and Bill Camp also deliver compelling performances. For the unversed, the film is based on Jonathan Harr’s article in The New Yorker, titled The Burial.

Verdict: The Burial pays homage to several courtroom dramas such as Erin Brockovich, and it offers an identical zest to a John Grisham novel. The outstanding performances by its lead stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones elevates this conventional underdog feel-good story about a local business taking on a giant corporation.