Movies: The Judge

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Long Story Short:  The Judge is a legal drama driven by a generational battle between father (Robert Duvall) and son (Robert Downey, Jr.).  While following a pretty well-worn plot, the film distinguishes itself with a great cast, led by the two stars, and a surprisingly strong script.  The tone is just right with appropriate laughs and, yes, more than a few powerfully emotional scenes.  If you just want a high-quality, no-frills film, look no further.


Week 2 of my fall movie season is here with another drama, although a considerably different kind than last week's.  It's nice to have a change of pace from summer's blockbusters but I'll probably be looking forward to The Hobbit before long!  The NFL season is well underway and, if possible, even more confusing and unpredictable than usual.  With a full slate of movies coming out, though, I probably won't post about it until playoff time.  When I read about The Judge in a fall movie preview article, it appealed as both a  traditional drama and a vehicle for the hilarious Robert Downey, Jr.  Despite middling scores on Rotten Tomatoes, I went to see it.  The Judge was directed by David Dobkin and stars Downey, Jr., and Robert Duvall.

In Chicago's highest-profile court rooms, Hank Palmer (Downey, Jr.) blazes a gleeful trail as a defense lawyer for wealthy (and often guilty) people.  However, when he receives word that his mother has died, Hank promptly leaves his current case and wife and young daughter to go back to his small Indiana hometown.  Everyone knows everyone else in Carlinville, and they all console Hank's father, Joseph, a local judge.  While Hank reunites easily with his brothers Glen and Dale, who are still local, his relationship with his father is still icy from an incident years ago.  Not feeling welcome, Hank prepares to leave as soon as he can, but before he does he discovers that Joseph has become a suspect in another recent death.

Hank reluctantly stays in town, a decision made harder by his father's refusal of his help.  But as more and more evidence comes to light, Joseph's predicament deepens.  Hank believes his father to be innocent - but with the evidence and his "client's" obstinance, he faces one of his most difficult cases yet.

The Judge features a very strong cast that gives the story believability and emotional impact.  I find Robert Downey, Jr. to be one of the most enjoyable actors in Hollywood, and he steps up again here.  Frankly, this film could have been pretty dull, considering the overall story and length (2.5 hours) - but Downey, Jr. is just magnetic.  Even toning down the funny sarcastic asshole persona to a very realistic level, he masterfully crafts Hank into a sympathetic yet just slightly larger-than-life man.  The script is wisely shaped to revolve around him, not in a "look at me" way but in order to show why he is the way he is.  Robert Duvall is also very good, although the other Robert typically overshadows him.  Still, he brings the same style to the table:  a realistic portrayal of an old, proud man in decline along with subtle yet undeniable moments of exceptionality.  They make a great team as actors, and that relationship (a rocky one, to say the least) is the backbone of the film.

There are good performances in the supporting cast as well.  Billy Bob Thornton is the biggest name, playing the prosecutor in the case.  While he could have been turned into a melodramatic villain, his role is restrained, with his reputation and gloating eyes providing all the antagonism needed.  Both brothers, played by Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong, do well.  They come close to stock characters, but are fairly small roles anyway.  And Vera Farmiga has some great scenes as Samantha, Hank's high school girlfriend.

The Judge is almost peculiar in how un-peculiar it is.  The trend for high-profile dramas in recent years seems to be either A) try some new, exotic, or tongue-in-cheek style, and/or B) deal with a sensitive or very current topic.  Instead, The Judge is a pretty old-school drama.  You've likely seen this kind of story many times before, in both movies and TV: the disconnected child (usually son) is forced to return to his family and reunite through some type of ordeal.  Fortunately, this film is able to highlight the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of this tried (and tired)-and-true idea.  The first layer is the story, which really does an impressive job of toeing the line of familiar and realistic with more improbable yet exciting elements.  The script also does a nice job of providing a good sense of where things are going while maintaining a sense of uncertainty about which of the possible routes it will go (either that, or I'm just a sucker).  Next are the characters, which I've already gone over.  And finally, you have to get the tone and mix of emotions right.  Downey, Jr. definitely brings the humor - only one scene (that I remember) in which he uses his trademark rapid-fire, casually biting insults, and the rest more grounded and tone-appropriate funny bits.  Of course, there's also plenty of emotion.  Some may complain that it's too manufactured, and at times it does drift in that direction.  But the characters do work for the tears that they produce, and I prefer this course to the alternative of "too cool/artsy" for emotion.

***

The Judge is a high-quality drama that should appeal to about as wide an audience as possible.  I think it may even rise to a straight "A" for me at some point, but for now I think it sits just short of that.  Still, I think it's far better than its score on Rotten Tomatoes indicates (I haven't had a chance to read any of the actual reviews yet).  To me, this comes down to the argument between old but quality and new yet flawed.  In fact, it's perfect timing - the movie I saw last week, Gone Girl represents well the other side of the argument.  As I said in my review, I liked Gone Girl but the effects of the twist dragged it down.  Some people (apparently, many people) complain about the lack of originality in The Judge.  That would have been a bad thing (especially clocking in at nearly 2.5 hours) if the execution of that idea had been poor.  But just about everything, including, crucially, the script and actors, is great, so who cares if it isn't original?  I highly recommend it, whether you go to the theater to see it or wait for it on Netflix, etc.  Ignore the whiners, and go see Downey, Jr. and co. show you how it's done.



"The Judge 2014 film poster" by Team Downey - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=309058782595927&set=a.156205521214588.1073741828.154213784747095&type=1&theater.