Foster Boy – Important Drama
Director: Youssef Delara
Writer: Jay Paul Deratany (Screenplay)
Starring: Matthew Modine, Shane Paul McGhie, Lex Scott Davis, Julie Benz, Amy Brenneman, Greg Germann, Louis Gossett Jr
Plot: Michael is a high-powered lawyer and Jamal is an angry young man who has been imprisoned after years of abuse in the foster care system. Together they have to overcome their differences to find justice and expose the foster care system.
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Foster Boy starts as we meet high-powered cooperate lawyer Michael Trainer (Modine) who has an excellent record in the courtroom, but has never taken on cases for people. On his latest case, he wins, with the next case needing a lawyer, where Judge George Taylor (Gossett Jr) forcing Michael to take the case.
Michael takes the case of Jamal Randolph (McGhie) who is looking to file a case against the foster care system he was raised in, where he suffered years of abuse. This case could break the foster system and the company being exposed will do anything to cover up the truth.
Thoughts on Foster Boy
Characters & Performances – Michael Trainer is an experience cooperate lawyer that has been winning cases for fun, never caring too much about the clients. A judge pushes him into take a case for a former foster child that is trying to get case against the foster company after he suffered abuse. He isn’t interested to start with, but soon he finds himself being targeted in the company as he looks to win the case. Matthew Modine is great in this leading role, showing us how his powerful character can have his life pulled out from under himself, where he will showing the skills his character truly holds. Jamal Randolph is the victim that had been in and out of prison die to the abuse he once suffered in the foster system. He doesn’t like letting people into help him, clashing with Michael to start with. When he gets to open up, we get to see just how much he has been through, what he has suffered through the years, leading up to one of the most difficult scenes in courtroom dramas. Shane Paul McGhie is truly fantastic here, giving what could easily be the breakout performance for the young star. Pamela Dupree is the carer that works for the foster care company, she will do anything to make the case go away to keep her company clean, showing the dirty tactics involved. Julie Benz is great as this ruthless woman not willing to lose.
Story – The story here follows a cooperate lawyer who gets drawn into a case for an abuse victim against one of the companies he would normally defend, showing he can make a difference to the people that need it most. This is one of the important dramas that might well give us a fictional story, but using the reality of the foster are system being flawed in America. It shows how a company will do anything to make sure they will get what they want over what is best for the child who might be suffering. Like any courtroom drama, we get the excellent courtroom sequences that push the story, grab the attention as we hear what is happening with the stories.
Themes – Foster Boy is a courtroom drama that is highlight the foster system flaws, we get to see the different worlds Michael and Jamal have come through, from the life of luxury that Michael lives, to the foster system which Jamal has suffered through. The courtroom adds to the scenes, which will keep us wanting to see what the next chapter of the truth will end up being.
Foster Boy will be available on Digital Download from 1st March and can be bought here
Foster Boy is an eye-opening experience into how flawed the foster care system truly is.