First Hit: The slow eruption of sorrow by Alfre Woodard as Warden Bernadine Williams is formidable.
Make no mistake, this is Woodard’s film from beginning to end. As the warden of a prison that executes the individuals on death row, she faces up to her harrowing job with a commitment, strength, and affected vulnerability.
The film begins with Warden Williams presiding over an execution. The medical orderly botches needle insertion attempts. The camera focuses on Williams’ face almost the whole time, and by reading the barely visible changes in expression, we know she’s a percolating pot of unexpressed feelings.
Williams is married to Jonathan (Wendell Pierce), who is a high school teacher. We only find out about his work late in the film, but the scene where he’s reading to his students provides a good indication of the depth and quality of the man he is.
There are moments during the fill that explore their relationship at home, and what we see is a man doing his best to reach out to his wife, and she is barely able to respond.
Bernadine is loyal to her job. She knows it is essential, but her own awareness that the job is eating her alive is minimal. When she’s engaging prisoners, especially Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge), she is both competent and caring.
The focus of this story is between the time of the early botched execution and the execution of Woods. The story uses Major Logan Cartwright’s (LaMonica Garrett) difficulty after the botched execution to portray the struggle of doing one’s job when that job is to push the buttons of death. There is a side story of Chaplain Kendricks (Michael O’Neill), who is the assigned Chaplain there to assist the doomed prisoners. There is the anti-execution attorney Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff) pleading to stay Woods's execution because evidence shows he probably wasn’t the killer and because of the previously botched execution. Then there is Woods's own story and the effect of discovering he has a son just before his day of execution.
All of these stories are etched in Williams’ face as she painfully goes through her duties of Warden.
The scene with Woods in his cell, trying to hurt himself, is painful to watch. I had to turn away for part of it. When Woods meets up with the mother of his son, her story of why she did what she did was compelling. Deputy Warden Thomas Morgan’s (Richard Gunn) support of Williams is shown in several scenes. The bar parking lot scene in which he asks for keys is reflective of his caring, help, and support.
The film, because the subject is dark, is mostly shot in darker tones. The Williams’ home is not infused with light, the prison and prison walls are realistically portrayed in generic faded government colors. The yellow lines bordering each hallway in prison, guiding prisoners where they can walk, is poignantly shown.
However, the film is very slow-paced, and at times, I did want it to jump forward, but I also understand why it was done this way.
Woodard gives a career-defining performance. The subtle movements in her expressions, eyes, and body movement tell a compelling story, and it surely deserved an award nomination. Garrett was terrific as this hulking strong guard that had to succumb to his inner voice about participating in another execution. Pierce was extraordinary in his role as Bernadine’s husband. Schiff was terrific as the prisoner rights attorney. O’Neill was perfect as the Chaplain. Hodge was remarkable and fantastic as the prisoner wrongly accused of murder facing death by execution. Gunn was excellent as a caring Deputy Warden. Chinonye Chukwu wrote and directed this film with both heart and intention. When the state takes a life, it affects everyone involved, including our society.
Overall: This was a study in outstanding acting by Woodard.