The Judge-2014
Director David Dobkin
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall
Scott’s Review #261
Reviewed August 2, 2015
Grade: B+
The Judge (2014) is a formulaic courtroom drama we have all seen many times before, but I found it rather enjoyable.
The main reason for this is the casting of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in the pivotal central roles. The two actors play estranged father and son.
The clichés are numerous, but the excellent acting makes the story feel fresh, fun, and compelling, if not innovative. As seen by only a few, The Judge was on my radar only because of Duvall’s Oscar nomination for his role.
Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.) is a big-shot attorney from Chicago. Highly successful, he is selfish, driven, and a downright prick.
Going through a messy divorce with his gorgeous, athletic wife, he has a close bond with his daughter, despite not being home very often.
Suddenly, Hank’s mother dies tragically, and he must return to small-town Carlinville, Indiana, a place he despises, not simply because the town is in the sticks, but because he has bad memories.
When he arrives, he reconnects with his two brothers and his father (Duvall), the local judge. While staying at the family house, Hank once again butts heads with his father and runs into an old girlfriend (Vera Farmiga), who now owns the local diner.
On his way out of town for good, Hank is asked to defend his father when he is arrested and charged with murder.
The Judge is a family drama that contains suspense and a few twists.
The film reminds me of a slew of 1990s-era courtroom dramas based on John Grisham novels (A Time to Kill, The Client, The Firm), so I expected a bland, dated film.
I love the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Duvall, which I think is the film’s strongest aspect, along with the family-style drama and the trials and tribulations thrown in.
Hank is smarmy and ruthless, but has a humorous side and tells it like it is. I smiled at his wry wit.
Judge Parker is equally stubborn, and the battles are wonderful to watch. Conversely, the film also has tender bonding moments between the two men, which are sentimental and warm.
One scene, in particular, is tender and heartbreaking: one a cares for the other while he’s sick.
An interesting aspect is Indiana’s small-town sense of community, which I found charming. Everyone gravitates towards the cute diner in the center of town owned by Hank’s high school sweetheart.
The film has a nice, wholesome, small-town appeal.
I half expected a county fair or apple-pie-baking scene.
The film feels wholesome and comfortable- a slick, mainstream drama. Movie comfort food, if you will.
The relationships among the three brothers- Hank, Glen, a middle-aged man regretting never having moved from Carlinville, and Dale, a sweet-natured autistic man, determined to one day become a filmmaker- are interesting.
They are so different but stick together, bicker, and bond. Similar to real-life families.
The negatives are that the courtroom scenes sometimes run too long, and the film brings nothing new or exciting to cinema, playing it safe throughout.
Still, I was pleasantly surprised to be treated to a film above mediocrity, though it isn’t a reinvention of the wheel.
It is worth seeing for the simmering performances of the entire cast, especially film stalwarts Duvall and Downey Jr., who bring life and wit to an otherwise traditional film.
Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Robert Duvall
