The Inspection movie review: Elegance Bratton’s film is like any other brutal military boot camp story

However, French knows that’s not true, with a few coins left in his pocket, and his belongings fitting into a plastic bag. The boot camp with its expectations of strict compliance, convention and discipline, contrasted with young, hormone-filled men thrown together into close company, is an interesting backdrop to French’s tortures. He wants to belong, as much as not to; to obey, as much as to finally not. His body betrays him even as he keeps telling his mind to shut down; and his every touch carries the prospect of a scandal.

A shower sequence leads to the fellow recruits discovering his sexuality, and while he doesn’t accept or deny the same, there is a subtle shift. Bratton’s screenplay is rich in shades of grey, of dominant narratives crowding out every kind of minority – be it hyper-masculinity and gays, anti-terror messaging and a Muslim recruit, and the bullying with social sanction that is the military and a soldier who finally says no.

While this broadbases French’s story to one that many others can identify with, it also dilutes the impact. For long stretches, The Inspection is like any other brutal military boot camp story where boys learn to become men, so to speak – or, in this case, to become “monsters”. As the boss of this boot camp puts it, there is no other way to survive the war they have been waging against an enemy that keeps popping up.

Pope, a theatre actor, is excellent as the unsure, wounded French, who must get himself off the ground only to be kicked right back down, and who must keep taking risks (which can be fatal) in the hope of finding love where he can get it.

Union as French’s devout mother, whose God won’t let her accept her son has very little to do. Worse, she is cruelly one-dimensional, getting barely a chance to redeem herself for turning out her son like that. There is other sensitive acting around, but this film belongs to Pope. And, by extension, to Bratton. And to battles that don’t get TV time.

The Inspection movie cast: Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine, Raúl Castillo
The Inspection movie director: Elegance Bratton
The Inspection movie rating: 3 stars