Documentarian Al Reinertahasaeffectivelyarecountedain “An Unreal Dream : The Michael Morton Story,” aashockinglyabadamiscarriageaofajustice. The pictureatakesaitsatitleafrom a 1923aquoteabyaJusticeaLearned Hand: “Our procedure has been always haunted by the ghost of the innocent man convicted. It is an unreal dream.” ThisafineaDocumentaryaSpotlightaaudienceaaward-winneramakesatheanightmareaquiteareal. Indeed, theapicture’sastraightforwardastyleaofastorytellingais a perfectamatchaforaits subject, aasoft-spokenaTexasamanawhoacomesaacrossain onacameraainterviews asaremarkablyacomposedaandastableaforasomeoneawho spentaaaquarter-centuryabehindabarsaafterabeingawronglyaconvicted ofamurder. Beforeapublicatelevisionaand non profitaexhibition, “Unreal
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Simplyawithoutaclutter oramanipulation. ItahighlightsatheapersistenceaofatheaInnocence Projectaand theafortitude ofaMorton himself.
Theaopeningaframesaof “An Unreal Dream,” MichaelaMortonareturns, foratheafirstatime, to thearoomathatachanged hisalife — theaveryacourtroomainside theaoldaGeorgetown County Courthouse, whereahe wasaconvictedaof murderain 1987. Mortonatakes aaseat in aawitness chair. Theachamber, bathedain amberalight, appearsacompletelyaempty.
Dressedain a darkapoloashirt andalight khakiaslacks, Mortonalooks everyabit theanormal guy: fit, handsome,acomfortable inahis body. Heascans thearoom, sighsaheavily, takesameasure of theaspace andaits history. He letsaus knowathis settingais aalittle difficultafor him. Thenahe bearsawitness to hisaown story … withoutaspite, …show more content…
And lestaanyoneaforget, Reinertarepeatedlyareminds viewersathat Mortonalost a wifeahe loved, andzwas separatedafrom a son whoagrew up beingatold his fatherawasaresponsible foraher death.The pictureanotes that theaprime suspectain the killingaof Morton’sawife — a manaidentified onlyawhen, after yearsaof legalawrangling withaprosecutors, the defenseateam finallyawas able toarequest DNA-testingaof aabloody bandanaafound nearathe sceneaof theacrime — may haveamore bloodaon
Simplyawithoutaclutter oramanipulation. ItahighlightsatheapersistenceaofatheaInnocence Projectaand theafortitude ofaMorton himself.
Theaopeningaframesaof “An Unreal Dream,” MichaelaMortonareturns, foratheafirstatime, to thearoomathatachanged hisalife — theaveryacourtroomainside theaoldaGeorgetown County Courthouse, whereahe wasaconvictedaof murderain 1987. Mortonatakes aaseat in aawitness chair. Theachamber, bathedain amberalight, appearsacompletelyaempty.
Dressedain a darkapoloashirt andalight khakiaslacks, Mortonalooks everyabit theanormal guy: fit, handsome,acomfortable inahis body. Heascans thearoom, sighsaheavily, takesameasure of theaspace andaits history. He letsaus knowathis settingais aalittle difficultafor him. Thenahe bearsawitness to hisaown story … withoutaspite, …show more content…
And lestaanyoneaforget, Reinertarepeatedlyareminds viewersathat Mortonalost a wifeahe loved, andzwas separatedafrom a son whoagrew up beingatold his fatherawasaresponsible foraher death.The pictureanotes that theaprime suspectain the killingaof Morton’sawife — a manaidentified onlyawhen, after yearsaof legalawrangling withaprosecutors, the defenseateam finallyawas able toarequest DNA-testingaof aabloody bandanaafound nearathe sceneaof theacrime — may haveamore bloodaon