The Inspection

11/18/20221h 35m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

Overview:

Ellis French is a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life.

Director:

Elegance Bratton

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$270,613.00

Key words:

friendship
homophobia
marine
lgbt
semi autobiographical
lgbt in the military
mother son relationship
gay theme

Cast

Jeremy Pope

~ as ~

Ellis French

Gabrielle Union

~ as ~

Inez French

Bokeem Woodbine

~ as ~

Laws

Raúl Castillo

~ as ~

Rosales

McCaul Lombardi

~ as ~

Harvey

Nicholas Logan

~ as ~

Brooks

Eman Esfandi

~ as ~

Ismail

Aaron Dominguez

~ as ~

Castro

Aubrey Joseph

~ as ~

Boles

Andrew Kai

~ as ~

Label

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
"French" (Jeremy Pope) is an itinerant gay man who, estranged from his prison office mother "Inez" (Gabrielle Union), has concluded that the only way to stop himself becoming subsumed into an underworld of drugs, disease and most likely death, is to join the US Marines. Having failed at just about everything else, his mother is somewhat sceptical, but to bootcamp he goes where he encounters the stereotypically brutish gunnery sergeant-major "Laws" (Bokeem Woodbine). It's all based on a true story directed and adapted from his own story by Elegance Bratton, so jeopardy here there isn't. That said, Pope and Woodbine are both on good form as the former runs the gamut of a tough training regime coupled with a prejudice against his sexuality that proves distinctly dangerous. His trainer offers him nothing by way of support or sympathy, intent on instilling the most primitive of "survival of the fittest" mentalities amongst all of his recruits. It is a little procedural, but it's still an interesting tale from a man who resisted the temptations to jack it all in - and sends a clear message of perseverance and determination that does resonate to a certain, predictable, extent. Essentially, though, it's a television movie that doesn't really need a cinema screening and though watchable and important, it isn't a story that will linger in the memory for long afterwards, I'm afraid.