Crown Heights

In Matt Ruskin's fact-based Crown Heights, an innocent man convicted of murder suffers years of imprisonment before being freed by new evidence. Colin Warner (Lakeith Stanfield), a teen from Trinidad, was arrested in 1980 in the titular Brooklyn neighborhood and charged with killing a man in broad daylight on a busy street. Warner was found guilty on the testimony of a frightened boy who was pressured by police to identify the shooter after claiming, falsely, to have seen the killing. Warner was sentenced to 15 years. All of this is portrayed in a gritty matter-of-fact style, as is the brutal reality of Warner's incarceration, ironically accompanied by inserts from news footage showing politicians making hay out of “tough on crime” pronouncements. Gradually, however, the focus shifts to Warner's friend Carl King (Nnamdi Asomugha), whose determination to free Warner leads King to become a process server and enlist the aid of a lawyer to help him discover exculpatory evidence—an effort that takes years while Warner's appeals fail and his behind-bars romance with a girl from the old neighborhood (Natalie Paul) appears to be going nowhere. A scalding portrait of a miscarriage of justice that is also a celebration of enduring friendship and commitment, this period piece that carries contemporary relevance is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Matt Ruskin and producer/costar Nnamdi Asomugh, and a behind-the-scenes featurette (4 min.). Bottom line: a solid extras package for a powerful true-life drama.] (F. Swietek)