The Judge
The Judge
(2014)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: David Dobkin
Written by: David Dobkin, Bill Dubuque
Nick Schenk
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall,
Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio
Billy Bob Thorton
Rating: PG
Release Date: October 17th, 2014
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| Robert Downey Jr., and Robert Duvall in The Judge © 2013 - Warner Bros. Pictures |
The Judge follows hotshot defence lawyer Hank Palmer, (Robert Downey Jr.), whose only ethical boundaries are of a fiscal nature. Defending financially irresponsible, adulterous and murderous clients, Palmer is arrogant, reckless and most importantly, brilliant. Even the most guilty of clients tend to walk free under Palmer's legal brilliance. Part of his ethical disconnect and selfishness come from his cruel upbringing via his father, Judge Joseph Palmer, (Robert Duvall), one of the longest running and most respected Judges in Indiana. With a relationship akin to oil and water, Hank begrudgingly returns home for his mother's funeral, if only to pay respect to her memory and to comfort his brothers. Hank and Joseph immediately butt heads, and Hank's last concern is his fathers well being. Yet, when a confused and angry Joseph returns home late at night with a dented fender that's linked to a hit an run following the funeral, Hank is forced to come to his father's defence and shine a light on both of their dark pasts. Even if Hank and Joseph hate each other, their love for jurisprudence leads them to a shocking and gut-wrenching court-room battle that forces them confront their own shortcomings. While it's a storyline that's been explored before, it's a compelling and taut ride.
Some of the best films in cinema's short history have centred around the court room; To Kill a Mockingbird, A Time to Kill, A Few Good Men, 12 Angry Men and Philadelphia are all classic and moving slices of cinema. Yet, their suspense and relevance came from tackling huge, important and polarizing subjects; racism, wilful negligence in the military, the worth of a human life and human rights, respectfully. In that sense of importance, The Judge falls short of such intelligent discourse.
There's a theory in linguistics regarding the portrayal of ethics and ideals in media. It's called Manufactured Consent, and it was created by famed linguist Noam Chomsky. Manufactured Consent is when a certain frame of mind, be it from the military industrial complex or simply corporate advertisers slips subtly into the news, fictional television and cinema. Sometimes it's intentional, sometimes it's a subconscious portrayal of manufactured ideals ingrained in culture. The television show Blue Bloods manufactures consent in that it portrays the ideals of a home-bred, heterosexual family, led by a patriarch who are led to follow the law and to accept authority. In that sense of Manufactured Consent, The Judge is also guilty. It panders to the ideals of the white, middle-class, suburban variety; it becomes extremely closed minded in its perspective. Still, the ideals and relationships it portrays aren't negative, and ultimately its ideas are positive rather than negative. While the script is occasionally sub-par, the acting is absolutely stellar.
Robert Duvall is one of the best actors of his generation. From his career defining work in The Godfather, the aforementioned To Kill A Mockingbird, Network, Apocalypse Now, and Falling Down, he's been doing challenging and memorable work for nearly half a century. At this point in his career, nearly anything would benefit from just an appearance by Mr. Duvall. Yet, with The Judge, Duvall tackles a role that is unkind, challenging, sometimes humiliating, and ultimately heartbreaking. His Oscar nomination is well deserved. Robert Downey Jr., who has always been dependable, is once again fantastic in a role that would crush lesser actors. The interplay between such professionals is rare, exciting to watch, and if anything, the sole reason to catch The Judge. It features some of the best performances of 2014; and one of the best of Duvall's long and varied career. The supporting cast is also full of talented veterans; Billy Bob Thorton, Vera Farmiga and the underrated Vincent D'Onofrio, all of which fill out the margins fabulously.
Ultimately, it's rare that dramas like The Judge get made, and even rarer that a cast of such talented actors fill its roles. While the script isn't great, and panders to a certain audience, the work of Duvall and Downey Jr., transcend the script and lift The Judge above its limitations.
Grant's Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Robert Downey Jr. & Robert Duvall in The Judge: "Was I Tough On You?"
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