Wonder how it is that HBO doesn't do much "documentary" on the daily black on black violence in Chicago. Keep getting fooled.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning In November 2012, a group of black teenagers drove into a convenience store parking lot in their red SUV to buy some cigarettes and gum. Whilst one of them had gone to get what they wanted, another car pulled alongside theirs and the driver, Michael Dunn, asked them to turn their music down. The driver complied, but Jordan Davis, a backseat passenger, kicked up a fuss and turned it back up. This lead to a verbal altercation between him and Dunn, which escalated into Dunn firing ten shots at their vehicle as it sped away, leaving Jordan dead. As the trial of Dunn plays out in the courtroom, and the verdict draws near, racial tensions in the US rest on a knife edge.In multi racial, gun happy America, a breeding ground has been served up for conflicting cultures to collide and for tragic outcomes to ensue. The case of Trayvon Martin a short while ago caused a national outcry at the time, but here, a similar case in the shape of Jordan Davis is documented, another casualty of the gun culture. The state where the incident took place, Florida, currently operates the 'Stand Your Ground' law, that allows a gun owner to operate their weapon in instances where they even perceive a threat, which this film scrutinises.Filmed in a crisp, pristine picture, the film sacrifices talking head perspectives for a straight out real life presentation of Dunn's trial in court (not legal as far as I was aware?) While this takes up most of the film space, it's the outside elements that give it its striking touches, with Dunn's phone conversations with his fiancé playing out over silent, eerie overhead shots of passing traffic with the sound drowned out, as well as the pain and loss of Jordan's parents. His more middle class background and upbringing is the most uneasy conflict with the stereotype his image presents, and its his friends, who all seem to want to break into the rap scene, who serve to challenge the predetermined mentality many may have of them, with 'thug' being the new n word, as one of them laments.This documents a tragic human drama, from which no winners emerged, but from which important questions were raised and vital steps were suggested to put things right. ****

The day after Thanksgiving 2012, four male African-American teenagers in Florida pull into a gas station for cigarettes and gum, but a 47-year-old white man in the car parked next to them outside objects to their loud music. Michael Dunn later says in his testimony that he thought one of the boys, Jordan Davis, had a firearm and he perceived a threat on his life, resulting in a shooting that left 17-year-old Davis dead. Most likely, what really set Dunn off was the disrespect shown from a teenager towards a middle-aged man...a generation-gap problem that has existed since the dawn of civilization. The director of this emotional documentary, Marc Silver, takes the racial aspect of the case and builds and edits his film around it. We see Jordan's parents grieving his loss, we see his mother praying and worshipping and setting up a tiny cross in the sand on the beach, but hardly any time is spent on Dunn's fiancée (who comes across as an honest, interesting woman in court)--we don't even get her reactions after the verdicts are read. Silver wants to keeps a stirred pot boiling, and he isn't fascinated enough in the case as a whole to be completely objective (he's convicted Dunn already). The verdicts in both trials (this a result of a mistrial called on one of the counts, which was then retried off-camera) are fair, based on the actions of a man who was demanding respect by force. Dunn's motivations in that split-second when he took out his gun aren't probed in depth; Silver wants to reveal Dunn as a liar (which is true) and as a man with racist attitudes (which is debatable). When you come out of a documentary with more questions than answers, perhaps the film hasn't done a succinct enough job examining the central situation. We understand that Jordan's family is devastated, that he was a solid young man just out for a good time with his buddies (each shown to be completely innocent of malice). The trial judge says, "There are no winners or losers here," though, sadly, I don't think anyone heard him. **1/2 from ****

First, let me say, I can not give this a "10", though as well presented as possible, it's just too tragic in its content to "whoop!" with joyous "10's". And, reading the two previous reviews to mine and seeing how less than half of those who voted gave their approval or support of these reviews, speaks further volumes of hate. That in itself is disgusting, and I believe represents a "hate". Sorry, but I'm guilty of not remembering this incident. There have been far too many in the last 8, 9, 10...who knows, maybe forever, years! I myself have thought, "that is not even music"; "I hate that crap"; "that crap noise is filled with hate and violence". I, like I'm sure, many Americans have thought, "what thugs". Then would any one think Justin Beiber is a thug?! NO! He's too white and too pretty. I just watched this 3 1/2 Minutes, two days after Thanksgiving. I'm only thankful to now be fully aware of this, yet again, horrible crime and the evidence and backgrounds shared in the presentation. However, I did agree and appreciate the 2nd trial results, as that is the result I would have given as a (white)juror. But I am so sorry for that mother, father, families and the other 3 young men. And so many others who have suffered the same hate crimes. And sometimes it has surely been black against white victims. We seem to have an abundance of hate going around the entire world and infecting young and old minds alike. Just sad. SAD! Sad! I am SO SORRY! There really is very little empathy left in this world, mine or yours!! I see it all around me. It's not a world my daddy brought me up in. He would not believe today's world. Back in my childhood, yes, we said "colored people". But we didn't mean it in any "less than" or hateful way. In fact, my dad taught it to me with love and respect. For all people. So much so, that I felt so much "sorry" for blacks, at a young age. I don't believe in prayer that much, but I watch Jordan's mother, and father, in this story, and it makes me want to pray. To pray for people's hearts to not be so hateful. For children to be able to grow up. For children to not need to become violent. For everyone to have the opportunity to learn and to work and provide a life for themselves and their family. I pray for better days to come. Please Lord, hear our plea!