Fantastic Lies (2016)

Very well executed

Fresh and Exciting

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Marina Zenovich delivers a powerful film with compelling characters and great pacing. She presents what happened without bias as it unfolded. Nothing is rushed. The Duke lacrosse team appears guilty. Mike Nifong appears to be a hero fighting for women everywhere. She presents the case in both Durham and nationally, rich vs. poor, white vs. black, outsider vs. local. She doesn't leave any opinions out. The five most central figures in this film weren't interviewed. That'd be a disaster for most directors, but Zenovich is undeterred. We hear from the lacrosse players' parents and they deliver the type of emotion that the players might not have. She gets us into Mike Nifong's head without Nifong saying a word.

While I am sure there are a few folks out there that would never be convinced, this installment of "30 for 30" should easily convince any reasonable viewer that the infamous Duke lacrosse team rape case was a farce. It does a very, very thorough job in presenting the story from start to finish and it's a darn shame that the reporters working on the case initially didn't show the same dedication to getting the story right. In hindsight, it's clearly a case where minds were made up long before all the facts were obtained...and if folks had just waited they would have seen that the rapes could not have occurred.What I appreciate about the film, in addition to its thoroughness, is how the story is presented. Through the first third of the show, the viewer is left scratching their head and thinking "I thought the guys DIDN'T commit the rape...maybe they really did"! In other words, it didn't jump to any conclusions but just showed what happened and let it all play out at it did in reality.Is there anything I didn't like? Well, a few of the individuals involved refused to be interviewed. The three exonerated lacrosse players refused--most likely to get this story behind them. The prosecutor refused--most likely because he is an evil man. And, the prison system would not allow the accuser to be interviewed because she's in prison for murder. I would have loved to have heard from these folks. Apart from this, the film was very well constructed and convincing...and makes for very compelling viewing. And, sadly, it's a case that tends to make folks assume that all too many real rape victims are 'just making it all up'.

Ten years ago, the Duke Lacrosse team became the focus of national attention. I never knew anyone who played lacrosse and have never seen a game. So the extreme national attention struck me as strange. The story was covered by every major news outlet. Reporters parachuted in from the New York Times and Washington Post. Cameras were everywhere. The case was sensational. The Duke team competed for the national championship and lost, making them the second-best lacrosse team in the NCAA. There was a celebration off campus where the boys consumed a lot of alcohol and someone ordered exotic dancers. At some point, one of the dancers left the party, called police and claimed to have been raped by three of the players. The story exploded.The lacrosse players were white, handsome and confident. They could have stepped out of GQ. They looked like the poster children of an American elite and they were students at one of the nation's most expensive and prestigious universities. The strippers were poor and black. The allegations were ugly, and the Durham County District Attorney took the case immediately. He told the Durham Police that he wanted to control the investigation.The purported victim was a college student from North Carolina Central University, a traditionally black university. Chrystal Mangum gave a series of statements which formed the basis of the prosecution.Outrage erupted at Duke. Members of the lacrosse team were suspended. Protests were regular events. There were calls for harsh action against every member of the team. Black ministers railed at the injustice from the pulpit and at rallies. News organizations and Nancy Grace screamed for justice. The District Attorney Mike Nifong moved the case toward trial as the State Bureau of Investigation handled DNA evidence which would corroborate the victim's allegations.In the midst of the hysteria, the DNA results came back negative, but the DA lied to the press and the defense about the findings. Nifong was in the middle of an election and he wanted to keep the case alive to boost his reelection chances. This film has many riveting layers. There is the question of rich versus poor, white versus black, privilege versus powerlessness, and questions of justice. The film explores the pack mentality in the media. It also explores the political nature of justice. This is excellent documentary-making. Every frame was important to the story and the story took a number of twists and turns. See it.

30 for 30: Fantastic Lies (2016) **** (out of 4)The Duke Lacross scandal is something that I'm sure most people watching this episode of 30 for 30 will remember. The basic story is that a black stripper went to a party on the Duke campus, which was held by members of the lacrosse team. From there she went to the police stating that she had been raped. What followed was an insane media circus that had typical story lines: White vs black. Rich vs poor. Privledged vs a nobody. The entire media turned on the players without every asking what the truth was.I must admit that I remember every bit of this case. I remember the first time it was reported by ESPN and I followed throughout the next year. At the same time I must admit that I thought the boys were guilty and this documentary shows why people such as myself were stupid for believing the story that the media was selling but the film also discusses why so many people of power were guilty for falling for lies. This is a pretty remarkable case because there was absolutely no evidence against the three Duke players yet no one really cared about that and the media was more interested in telling the story of rich Duke kids raping a poor black woman.Considering the current political nature in this country, FANTASTIC LIES is even more power. There's no question that the 30 for 30 series has been an excellent form of entertainment over the years and it has delivered many great episodes but this one here is without question one of the best. Many of the key players aren't interviewed but there are some members from the media who stand up and admit that they were wrong. There's some great discussion about the various crimes committed by the D.A. and the police. As one of the Duke victims said, if they would do this to rich people what were they doing to those who couldn't defend themselves? This is certainly one of the best episodes in the series and hopefully the final word that clears the people who were innocent of the charges.