MOVIE OF THE WEEK: Mississippi Burning

It was tough to choose a "Movie of the Week", but at the last hour I found a strong film worthy of a review. "Mississippi Burning" is a crime drama surrounding the disappearance of 3 civil rights workers in 1964 Mississippi. This powerful civil rights drama does a good job at showing the atmosphere of hatred during this era in the South. It almost did too good a job for me, as I like my civil rights dramas a bit more sugarcoated (e.g. "The Help"). Call me naive, but depictions of violent racism get me so upset that it often prevents me from appreciating a good film. While this film is indeed tough to sit through, I have to admire it for it's outstanding screenplay. The plot unfolds at a deliberate pace, but with a clear purpose. Futhermore, I must praise the performances of Gene Hackman and Frances McDormand. They both deliver the brilliant dialogue so well and Hackman is just so damn badass. You may think you've seen this before, but this Oscar-nominated film is definitely worth a look. It's well-edited, well-written, well-shot, and deftly directed. It basically has all the qualities of a good film.