And continued greetings to you all as the film review blitz for this weekend goes on. The second offering comes in the form of a highly anticipated drama that stars arguably two of the industry’s BEST talents…period. Just the thought of these acting giants together in the same film made me want to see it alone, but add in a solid story, great supporting cast, and superb cinematography…..you’ve got a GEM of a motion picture…and this one truly lived up to it all. So, I now give to you…”The Judge”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
Directed by David Dobkin, who is known for his more comedic features that include “Shanghai Knights“, “Wedding Crashers“, and “Fred Claus“, the film first introduces us (via a courthouse men’s room!) to Chicago defense lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey, Jr.), who quickly proves to us that he’s most certainly an unscrupulous individual, very high on himself, and very addicted to winning, even as his clients are not innocent. During a trial he is a part of, an unexpected phone call draws him out of the courtroom, over to his posh home, an ugly encounter with his soon-to-be ex-wife Lisa (Sarah Lancaster), and his heartfelt goodbye’s to his daughter Lauren (Emma Tremblay) and sends him to his birth home in Carlinville, IN, much to his actual disdain. After an initial necessary visit to another locale in town, Hank first runs into one of his brothers, Dale (Jeremy Strong), who films everything, and then makes a stop by the local courthouse to watch his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall) dispense with a child support case with both stern determination and with dry humor, all the while noticing a slight “hitch” in his father’s step as it were. Post session, and after connecting with his other brother, Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio), Hank shares an all-too brief and emotionally generic moment with his father, showing us there is no love loss between them. Going out to a local watering hole, Hank runs into an old hometown flame, Samantha (Vera Farmiga), with whom he shares some brief moments with, as his goal is to leave town as soon as possible, a situation that is expedited by a harsh run-in with his father at home. But once about to leave on his flight, Hank receives another phone call that changes everything, as his father gets accused of a crime, forcing Hank back into his father’s life, but ultimately in a way he nor anyone would have expected. With the initial hearing handled by his father’s choice of lawyers, C.P. Kennedy (Dax Shepard), a local boy whom soon proves to NOT quite be the best candidate, Hank gives his father the option to utilize himself for his defense. Now staying around for a period of time, Hank TRULY starts to both battle his relationship with his father, while also making attempts to reconnect on a deeper level with the rest of his family AND with Samantha, whom he also finds out has a teen daughter Carla (Leighton Meester). As his father’s case comes to bear and the trial begins, Hank has to not just attempt to reconcile with his father, but also battle the prosecuting attorney Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton), the re-emerging feelings for Samantha, and reconcile with everyone the life he had left behind in ruins while going to Chicago, facing who he has become and who he realizes he wants to be. More details = SPOILERS…..and thus ends this section of the review.
WOW! And I honestly mean….WOW! Folks, THIS is what acting is. THIS is what the great actors DO in a film that gives them the dramatic material to work with. The interactions between Downey, Jr.’s Hank and Duvall’s Joseph ALONE are worth the price of admission…and I don’t personally feel that is overstating OR overhyping things at ALL. The intensity and depth these two men provide the characters goes hand in hand with the talent they both possess. These are two veterans at the top of their game. And what adds to this is the supporting cast around them, as they ALL play off each other so well, the dynamics that are created, the emotions that are brought about, and the journey a father and son are on just gets brought to vivid life. You’re watching a transformation happen every step of the way as two people who are SO set in their own ways collide and ultimately find common ground, even in the face of the circumstances surrounding both of them, both personally and professionally. Strong and D’Onofrio are perfectly cast as Hank’s two brothers, and even THEIR interactions together bear such dramatic weight, it’s hard to NOT get caught up in the story. Vera Farmiga plays Samantha perfectly as well, giving Hank’s former love a new sense of urgency in wanting to see him be BACK home and become someone better than he currently is. Dax Shepard actually provides some light-hearted moments amidst the chaos, and Emma Tremblay is adorable as Hank’s daughter, and given some really great moments together. Bill Bob always plays characters like Dwight well, and this was no exception. Top all of this with excellent cinematography and a beautiful music score by the awesome Thomas Newman, and you have one of THE BEST dramas out this year to date. The only thing I would say is that simply be prepared for the copious amounts of language in the film. But beyond that, if this doesn’t go up for Academy Award consideration on multiple fronts, there is something wrong with the MPAA. This truly may have become one of my favorite films ever for Downey, Jr. and Duvall, as this is exactly what it’s like to come out of what to me felt like a Master Class in what acting is all about.
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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