I'm not sure I even remember this incident, so I'm basing this review on the movie itself, not on any other fact/s about the incident outside the movie.Felt disappointed at the end... You have to rate this movie on its content, not with your heart because of what the current state of affairs are around you...It shows both sides of the story in a fair and unbiased manner until near the end, then bam - we find out he never mentioned he saw a weapon to his fiancé. We're all really supposed to make our judgment of his FULL guilt based on that fact?! Seriously? We know that the jury was not deliberating on his guilt with only what the fiancé said at the end. The documentary was going so well, then: "let's wrap up the movie - he's guilty!". What should've happened is a clarification of, for example: why the jury was deliberating so long on the verdict. As we all saw, it wasn't entirely based on whether the kid had a weapon or not.Production, etc. was well done, but felt cheated in the end - thus the 6/10. But, watchable for sure.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning In November 2012, a group of black teenagers drove into a convenience store parking lot in their red SUV to buy some cigarettes and gum. Whilst one of them had gone to get what they wanted, another car pulled alongside theirs and the driver, Michael Dunn, asked them to turn their music down. The driver complied, but Jordan Davis, a backseat passenger, kicked up a fuss and turned it back up. This lead to a verbal altercation between him and Dunn, which escalated into Dunn firing ten shots at their vehicle as it sped away, leaving Jordan dead. As the trial of Dunn plays out in the courtroom, and the verdict draws near, racial tensions in the US rest on a knife edge.In multi racial, gun happy America, a breeding ground has been served up for conflicting cultures to collide and for tragic outcomes to ensue. The case of Trayvon Martin a short while ago caused a national outcry at the time, but here, a similar case in the shape of Jordan Davis is documented, another casualty of the gun culture. The state where the incident took place, Florida, currently operates the 'Stand Your Ground' law, that allows a gun owner to operate their weapon in instances where they even perceive a threat, which this film scrutinises.Filmed in a crisp, pristine picture, the film sacrifices talking head perspectives for a straight out real life presentation of Dunn's trial in court (not legal as far as I was aware?) While this takes up most of the film space, it's the outside elements that give it its striking touches, with Dunn's phone conversations with his fiancé playing out over silent, eerie overhead shots of passing traffic with the sound drowned out, as well as the pain and loss of Jordan's parents. His more middle class background and upbringing is the most uneasy conflict with the stereotype his image presents, and its his friends, who all seem to want to break into the rap scene, who serve to challenge the predetermined mentality many may have of them, with 'thug' being the new n word, as one of them laments.This documents a tragic human drama, from which no winners emerged, but from which important questions were raised and vital steps were suggested to put things right. ****

The day after Thanksgiving 2012, four male African-American teenagers in Florida pull into a gas station for cigarettes and gum, but a 47-year-old white man in the car parked next to them outside objects to their loud music. Michael Dunn later says in his testimony that he thought one of the boys, Jordan Davis, had a firearm and he perceived a threat on his life, resulting in a shooting that left 17-year-old Davis dead. Most likely, what really set Dunn off was the disrespect shown from a teenager towards a middle-aged man...a generation-gap problem that has existed since the dawn of civilization. The director of this emotional documentary, Marc Silver, takes the racial aspect of the case and builds and edits his film around it. We see Jordan's parents grieving his loss, we see his mother praying and worshipping and setting up a tiny cross in the sand on the beach, but hardly any time is spent on Dunn's fiancée (who comes across as an honest, interesting woman in court)--we don't even get her reactions after the verdicts are read. Silver wants to keeps a stirred pot boiling, and he isn't fascinated enough in the case as a whole to be completely objective (he's convicted Dunn already). The verdicts in both trials (this a result of a mistrial called on one of the counts, which was then retried off-camera) are fair, based on the actions of a man who was demanding respect by force. Dunn's motivations in that split-second when he took out his gun aren't probed in depth; Silver wants to reveal Dunn as a liar (which is true) and as a man with racist attitudes (which is debatable). When you come out of a documentary with more questions than answers, perhaps the film hasn't done a succinct enough job examining the central situation. We understand that Jordan's family is devastated, that he was a solid young man just out for a good time with his buddies (each shown to be completely innocent of malice). The trial judge says, "There are no winners or losers here," though, sadly, I don't think anyone heard him. **1/2 from ****

The facts of 17 year old Jordan Davis' death are well known.While at a gas station with friends in Jacksonville Florida, he was shot dead by a middle aged white male who took offence to the loud Rap music the kids were playing in their car.What is less well known is the truth.Did Jordan verbally threaten to kill the man? Did he brandish a weapon of his own? Did he then leave his car in order to kill him?Vitally, did Michael Dunn, Jordan's killer, act in self defence?These are the questions explored by Marc Silver's excellent documentary. Never heavy handed, the film tells the story of the aftermath of Jordan's death and its affect on the family as they embark on a 2 year journey to find justice for their lost son.But far more than a personal family story, the film lifts the lid on America's trigger finger, the bubbling undercurrent of racial hate and the absurd 'stand your ground' law that essentially protects gun totting yahoos like Michael Dunn, from paying for their hate crimes.I was lucky enough to be at a special screening, where both Marc and Jordan's father, Ron Davis spoke about the making of the film.Ron is an amazing man. While certainly distraught following the loss of his son, he has also been galvanised into action. He is on a mission to amend the 'stand your ground' law and ensure that no more families have to suffer the tragedy that has befallen his.Eloquent and self assured, the events of Black Friday have transformed him into a powerful activist who I am sure will achieve his goals.Go watch this film for the excellent story telling. Go see it for the beautiful cinematography. Go see it for the raw emotion and performances - none of the scenes have been set up for our entertainment. We see every player in this tragic drama as they really are.But most of all just go see it because Ron Davis, Jordan's Mother, Lucia and all the other families affected by this terrible law need and deserve your understanding and support.