‘Time’ Film Review: One woman’s fight to extract her husband from the clutches of the criminal justice system

Time is a documentary that uncovers the heinous truths about our failing criminal justice system. Set mostly in Louisiana (between New Orleans and Shreveport), Time follows the arduous journey of wife, mother, and abolitionist, Fox Rich.

Fox shares a detailed account of her trek for justice with encapsulated memories dating back to the late-90s. In the beginning, life with her husband, Rob G. Rich, was great. After they opened Shreveport’s first urban clothing store, things began to take a turn. As desperation began to set, they made the bold decision to rob a credit union. That bold choice and moment of desperation set off a chain of events that would not only take decades to fix, but to even address the matter.

Time is an appropriate title for the documentary. As if begins to flow, each person you hear from shares a different account of time and how they view it. As it relates to the racially-biased prison industrial complex, time, in this sense, is seen as how many years you’re sentenced to prison. By no means, was Fox or her husband Rob looking for a handout or any consolement. She mentioned various times that they realize the choices they made and simply ask for forgiveness. But what she is asking, is why she was sentenced to six years and released in three and a half, but her husband was sentenced to 60.

The documentary consists of old footage from Fox and the more recent tasks of college graduations, court proceedings, and day-to-day business. The film weaves through the past 20 years, tackling love, faith, family, and the numerous problems with America’s criminal justice system.

I give Time an 8 out of 10. Directed and produced by Garrett Bradley, Fox shares a very raw reality with the public to put the lingering affects of the prison system on full display. People are allowed to make mistakes and atone, yet, the prison system makes it almost impossible to do such a thing. She’s a presence in her community and as you’ll see in the film, the always smiling Fox Rich never gives up.

Time will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime starting Friday, Oct. 16.

-Jon J.

Photos: Courtesy of Amazon Studios