"The
Judge" (15)
Directed by:
David Dobkin.
Starring:
Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton.
Rated: '15'
for containing strong language and moderate sex references.
Running
time: 141 minutes.
Released in
UK cinemas from Friday the 17th of October, 2014.
Comedy or drama? Well, David Dobkin (“Shanghai Knights”, “Wedding
Crashers”) has returned to the directing chair after a three year hiatus (his
last film “The Change-Up”, was formulaic to say the least) with his latest
effort, which is a strange hybrid of genres, as Robert Downey Jr. takes a break
from his “Iron Man” duties, and lends his charismatic playboy persona to a
film which allows him to flesh out his acting skills in a more dramatic role,
alongside an acting legend (Duvall, providing a delicate performance). Sadly,
despite the film’s superb performances, it can’t escape crippling clichés.
Downey Jr stars as a high-flying Chicago lawyer named Hank
Palmer, a man who feels no emotional remorse towards his notions of only defending
guilty people, and whose cheeky style constantly lands him in arguments with
fellow colleagues. During a court case however, Palmer is told that his mother
has passed away and quickly exits the case, in order to return home for the
funeral which is being held in Indiana. Bearing in mind he hasn’t spoken to his
father (also the town’s most revered judge) Joseph (Duvall), in over twenty
years, the pressure to reconnect with his family is immense. After attending
the funeral, all seems well and Henry attempts to flee his hometown and return
to Chicago, and never look back. Just as Henry attempts to leave however, he is
forced to turn around and defend his father’s honour, when he is accused of
murder and placed on trial.
In contempt of its merits, “The Judge” produces a dilemma. Just
like many awards-bait feature films before it (see “Labor Day), this particular
film ticks many of the boxes, yet not the pivotal ones. The film itself pulls
in at an astonishing two hours and twenty one minutes, which is bizarre, as
films of this style and genre generally only last for one-hundred minutes at
the most. But the film’s screenwriter’s (Nick Schenk , Bill Dubuque) decision
to include ridiculous amounts of clichéd content is discouraging, as the film
works perfectly well without the inclusion of needless dramatic fodder (the
endless confrontations between family members) and moves along at a decent
pace, when focussing upon the aspects of a legal drama and lost love.
The most unfortunate factor in the failing of “The Judge” is
its inclusion of a high-calibre cast, yet reducing many of the supporting cast
members to parts within the film which are distinctly unchallenging. Despite
being one of Hollywood’s most engaging actresses, Farmiga (“The Departed”)
proves to be the film’s most disappointing cast member, who has been presented
with the irritating role of an ex-love interest for Downey’s character (utterly
needless) and produces a dull performance which is exceptionally frustrating.
Thornton unfortunately finds himself within the same boat, as he is reduced to
a scene-filling villain who is shoddily written and tedious, despite his
attempt at generating a modest performance. Although “The Judge” may suffer
from clumsily written supporting characters, it is saved by top notch
performances from Downey and Duvall. The pair’s charisma bounces off of each
other exceptionally well during the most intense of scenes, but ultimately it’s
the material which causes the main problems within Dobkin’s film.
Verdict
Clichéd until the
point of no return, Dobkin’s latest addition to his mediocre filmography is
confidently led by its main leads, but the creditable cinematography and
compelling soundtrack all seem meaningless.
5 Stars out of 10
Written by Scott Gentry.
Film/TV Rating Key
1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.
3-4 stars out of ten = Average.
5-6 stars out of ten = Good.
7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.
9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.
Trailer
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