Film: The Inspection
Cast: Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine, Raúl Castillo, McCaul Lombardi, Nicholas Logan, Eman Esfandi, Aaron Dominguez, Aubrey Joseph, Andrew Kai, Tyler Merritt, Steve Mokate
Director: Elegance Bratton
Rating: 3/5

Elegance Bratton`s directorial debut, this film is a boot camp movie that follows a troubled young person as he enlists for the army, and is targeted throughout a rough energy-sapping training period -even the drill instructor Gunnery Sgt. Laws (Bokeem Woodbine)is remorselessly on his case. He considers quitting but eventually decides to stick it out and make it to graduation. It’s a story of courage and resilience under fire and highlights his battles with deep-seated prejudice, and the back-breaking routines of basic armed forces training. Eventually, he gains a hard-earned sense of self, and finds camaraderie, support from his peers, and emotional sustenance that he never received from his mother who abandoned him. 
 
This is an autobiographical take based on the filmmaker`s own experiences as a gay Black man who joined the Marines after the 9/11 attacks. While the path may seem familiar ( to several other films that showcase boot camp experiences) the story has a discriminatory aspect that exposes fault lines and conflicts within the system. 

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