Tampabay.com
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (and arrested)

What Roman Polanski allegedly did to a 13-year-old girl in 1977 is inexcusable. What the Los Angeles judicial system -- in particular one judge -- allegedly did to the Oscar winning director, making his self-exile from the U.S. seem unavoidable, is fascinating stuff.

Filmmaker Marina Zenovich connected the dots in a fine 2008 documentary titled Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired that indirectly led to Polanski's arrest this weekend in Zurich, Switzerland. Zenovich presented a compelling case that Polanski was being railroaded by a publicity-hungry judge. So compelling that Polanski's attorney made moves to re-open the case, which encouraged officials to arrest Polanski in a country he had visited without incident numerous times.

The clip posted above is an interview with Zenovich at the Sundance Film Festival where Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired premiered. In a country where people are supposedly innocent until proven guilty -- and proving it demands proper procedure -- the documentary raises worthwhile questions on both sides of the bench. Check out the film on Netflix or in segments on YouTube and decide for yourself.

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About the bloggers

For new movie reviews and movie news, this blog's for you. Steve Persall, movie critic for the St. Petersburg Times, weighs in on blockbuster movies, small-budget movies, the best movies, the worst movies ever and everything in between. Steve was conceived behind a drive-in movie theater his father operated and raised in projection booths and concession stands. He doesn't care how you did it up north.

E-mail Steve Persall:
persall@sptimes.com.

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