This week’s selection is The Burial, a film that combines light comedy and gentle drama based around a real-life David and Goliath courtroom battle between a small family-owned funeral business and a much larger conglomerate attempting to put it out of business to further its monopoly.

The film entertains through its engaging legal twists and turns (illustrated through the players and elements of the case), but it also presents serious themes, addressing issues of racism and exploitation of the poor in America. The standout performance comes from Jamie Foxx, who portrays the charismatic lawyer Willie E. Gary; replete with loud ‘90s fashions, he is part showman and part preacher, but of course, the viewer also comes to understand his more vulnerable, soulful heart.

Foxx’s commitment to his character elevates the material, preventing it from becoming clichéd and predictable. We hope you find this film enjoyable as well.

The Burial can be watched online only on Amazon Prime.

Related:

“The Burial” (1999 article in The New Yorker describing the trial)

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