The Judge (2014)
Certified: 15
Duration: 142 minutes
Directed by: David Dobkin
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Billy Bob Thornton, Sarah Lancaster, David Krumholtz
KRS Releasing Ltd
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr) seems to have the world at his feet. He is an ace defence lawyer envied by Mike Kattan (David Krumholtz) who has been on the prosecuting side against him far too much.
Meanwhile, he is undergoing divorce proceedings and is thus waiting to learn who will get custody of his daughter Lauren (Emma Tremblay).
On top of all this, he has to return to his home town in Carlinville, Indiana, as his mother has just died.
While there, he reconnects with brother Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) who has a tyre shop, and younger brother Dale (Jeremy Strong), who has a mental illness and is always going around with a camera.
He also meets his father Joseph (Robert Duvall), the town judge for the last 42 years and with whom Hank has a very cold relationship.
Hank’s lawyer skills are soon tested as his father is accused of murder. The victim had been found not guilty by Joseph in one of his previous cases. Joseph cannot remember anything that might have led to the murder, including the blood that is found in his car.
Duvall elevates the film to another level
Going against his instincts, Hank decides to take on his father’s case and defend him when he sees that the lawyer at hand is not capable of helping his father. Here enters high-flying prosecutor Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton), who hones in on Joseph.
Meanwhile, Hank meets his old sweetheart Samantha (Vera Farmiga) and a young bartender called Carla (Leighton Meester).
Director David Dobkin keeps The Judge within all the usual constraints and rules of the courtroom thriller genre and in this respect this film is not deviating from formula. It is a classy picture that, however, elevates itself through the excellent performances by the whole cast, especially Downey Jr and Duvall.
The two actors have charisma and screen presence and both bring to the film an intensity that gives it a dramatic element and impetus.
Downey Jr, here taking some time away from his Iron Man armour, reminds us that he is also an actor of dramatic flair. When confronted with Duvall, the father-and-son relationship comes alive with tension and chemistry.
Duvall elevates the film to another level in the way he brings his character to the fore of the proceedings. Thornton also brings a certain savoir faire to the film.
The Judge is both a courtroom drama and a family drama as it explores the entangled relationships of the Palmer family who all live in the shadow of the judge.