BLOCKBUSTER
Speaking to the Times Local actress Denitra Isler believes upcoming ‘Just Mercy’ is the right movie at the right time By Mi chae l J . Pa l l e r i no
Denitra Isler
Jamie Foxx is a ball of energy and a master story teller. In-between takes he would tell us stories about the small town where he grew up… they were vivid and always entertaining.
a vital food group in our moral diet and we are dietarily deficient,” says Isler, who also plays in the Atlanta-based band, Conkrete God.
Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx in Just Mercy Photo by Jake Giles Netter
“We need more love and empathy in the world and less fear. It sounds so cliché, but I truly believe that change starts with each person. Once you are able to love yourself truly, you then see how you are connected to your fellow brother and can then love him as well. Where there is
Photo by Jeno Uche
© 2019 Warner Bros.Entertainment Inc
Cretton, director and co-screenplay writer) would yell, ‘Cut,’ and the whole courtroom would stay silent. People couldn’t speak because the energy was so thick in the room. That’s when I knew we were creating a very special piece.” Isler plays Evelyn, McMillan’s sister, a local preacher and member of the accused family’s support system that helps support McMillian in his battle for freedom. The film, based on Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, also stars Brie Larson (Room, The Glass Castle , and Captain Marvel) , Rob Morgan (Mudbound) , Tim Blake Nelson (Wormwood) , Rafe Spall (Shaun of the Dead) , O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) , and Karan Kendrick (The Hate U Give ). Filmed in Conyers and parts of Montgomery, Alabama, Isler says the movie hits at the heart of an issue that is still prevalent in America today. “There are still innocent African American men and women who are prosecuted and jailed for crimes they didn’t commit or given outlandish sentences that don’t fit the crime. We are blessed to have Bryan Stevenson work daily against those injustices. He is truly the people’s hero.” But as much as a hero that Stevenson has been, Isler says he cannot heal the system alone. She hopes that the film and the powerhouse work done by the cast, crew, and producers will help incite a sense of purpose. “We want people to walk away with the fact that empathy is
love, hate cannot dwell.” Isler says that the movie’s shoot locations in Atlanta helped deliver the kind of look and feel the production team was looking for. “I am always amazed at how many different landscapes Atlanta provides that make you feel like you’re in another state, or even country for that matter. Atlanta is visually diverse. Most of my work has been filmed here. The industry here is really blossoming and we want to keep it that way. Atlanta is full of experienced actors that are ready to share their talents. People are welcoming and warm, which definitely contributes to the atmosphere on sets.” As for the cast and crew, Just Mercy is filled with some of the best in the business, including award-winning director Cretton (The Glass Castle, Short Term 12) , Foxx, and Johnson. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with them both,” Isler says. “Jamie is a ball of energy and a master storyteller. In between takes he would tell us stories about the small town where he grew up. They were vivid and always entertaining. And Michael is simply a great guy. He is super generous as an actor — always willing to do what’s best for the story.”
“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” — Bryan Stevenson, author and co- screenplay writer of Just Mercy
Y ou cannot create a movie like Just Mercy and not feel the residue from the work. Following acclaimed lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s lifelong pursuit for justice, Just Mercy focuses on the trial of African-American pulpwood worker Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx, Django Unchained, Ray) , who was wrongly accused and arrested for the murder of 18-year-old part-time clerk Ronda Morrison in Monroeville, Alabama. Morrison, who was white, had been bludgeoned, strangled, and shot three times on Nov. 1, 1986. When McMillian is sentenced to die in 1987, Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther, Creed ) vows to find the truth. The story, and its social, racial and political overtones, was one that local actress Denitra Isler (The Resident, The Act, and Instant Family) , was proud to be a part of—even if the weighty subject matter cast a heavy mood on the filming. “It was intense,” Isler recalls. “There were times, especially in the court scenes, where Destin (Daniel
Just Mercy (PG-13), which will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros., is slated for limited release on Dec. 25, 2019 and will go wide on January 10, 2020.
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