The Judge
2/4
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton
Rated R for Language including Some Sexual References
"The Judge" is a movie as bland as its title. Two days after seeing it, I remember almost nothing from it except the notes I took after the movie was done. Compare that to "The Guest," which I've been raving about to anyone who would listen.
With it's high-profile cast and gripping premise (not to mention its release date), "The Judge" has aspirations of being an Oscar contender. I would say that it isn't going to happen, but The Academy is difficult to predict, and is notorious for making boneheaded decisions ("Shakespeare in Love," anyone?). The movie plays is hopelessly predictable and plays safe at every turn. This is a movie that you'll enjoy only if you haven't seen a movie before.
Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.) is a slick lawyer who doesn't give a damn whether or not his clients are guilty; he just wants to win. But his mother has died, and he has to go home for the funeral. That means reconnecting with his brothers Glen (D'Onofrio) and Dale (Strong), not to mention his father Joseph (Duvall). Hank and Joseph have been estranged for years, and the thought of having to interact with his father is making Hank want to get out of there as soon as possible. That's going to be impossible when Joseph finds himself charged with murder.
Moments in this movie that aren't ripped off from another movie are few. Hank is the lawyer cliche: the bloodsucking lawyer who is blinded by greed and ego that he gets his guilty clients off. Joseph is the small-town conservative who berates him for selling out and losing his values. Glen is the older brother whose promising future was lost after an accident (that Hank was responsible for...of course), while Dale is the obligatory simpleton who is on hand to provide cuteness and faux-sentiment. Vera Farmiga is the hometown girl that got away. And Billy Bob Thornton shows up for a few scenes as a fellow lawyer that Hank once beat and desires revenge.
You know the characters, you know the story, you know pretty much everything that's going to happen in this movie. I wouldn't be so critical of this (after all, I watch all the "stranger within" thrillers I can get) if it had been done well. But it's not. The script is superficial to the extreme, and it's not just predictable in broad strokes. Even the little details are easy to guess before director David Dobkin reveals them, and they don't enhance the film's main storyline because they feel so artificial. Very little in the film feels authentic or believable, and that makes watching "The Judge" feel like watching a bad TV sitcom.
At least Dobkin has assembled a cast talented enough to ensure that the film isn't horrible. It may be totally predictable and built from parts of other, better movies (which include "The Devil's Advocate," "A Few Good Men" and any movie based on a John Grisham book). Robert Downey Jr. is as reliable as they get, but he's coasting through on his charisma. A slippery lawyer with a lightning fast tongue is something Downey can do in his sleep, and sadly, that's what he does here. The role is pure Downey, but I think he's getting bored playing a Tony Stark clone, and it shows. Only when the film gets really into the drama (a phrase I use loosely) does he come alive. Robert Duvall took the part hoping for a shot at another Oscar nomination. He's good, but the constraints of the role limit what he can do with the part. He's also willing to show himself in rather embarrassing situations (I won't say any more to avoid spoilers). Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong are wasted. Both deserve more fame and attention than they get, but they're stuck in roles that could be played by anyone. And while I love seeing Vera Farmiga on screen, I wish she had been given a meatier role. If there's anyone who deserves it, it's her. And Billy Bob Thornton shows up for a quick paycheck too.
A poor choice of director didn't do the film any favors. David Dobkin has never been a risk-taking director, nor one of any considerable talent. He's a director-for-hire, mainly making comedies (few of which are very funny) like "Wedding Crashers" and "The Change-Up." Asking him to direct a movie with Oscar potential is a fatal mistake. This would be a movie for someone like Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood. Or Cameron Crowe. His approach is clinical and without life or personality.
Clearly, Warner Bros. is hoping for some Oscar nominations with this film. I really hope it doesn't get any. I would think, with the mediocre reception it's getting from critics, that it wouldn't, but audience favor plays heavily in their decisions too, and it's making money. The Academy is hard to predict, but hopefully there will be other movies this Oscar season that will make everyone forget about this bland, flavorless (not to mention way overlong) drama. A fate that it deserves.
Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton
Rated R for Language including Some Sexual References
"The Judge" is a movie as bland as its title. Two days after seeing it, I remember almost nothing from it except the notes I took after the movie was done. Compare that to "The Guest," which I've been raving about to anyone who would listen.
With it's high-profile cast and gripping premise (not to mention its release date), "The Judge" has aspirations of being an Oscar contender. I would say that it isn't going to happen, but The Academy is difficult to predict, and is notorious for making boneheaded decisions ("Shakespeare in Love," anyone?). The movie plays is hopelessly predictable and plays safe at every turn. This is a movie that you'll enjoy only if you haven't seen a movie before.
Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.) is a slick lawyer who doesn't give a damn whether or not his clients are guilty; he just wants to win. But his mother has died, and he has to go home for the funeral. That means reconnecting with his brothers Glen (D'Onofrio) and Dale (Strong), not to mention his father Joseph (Duvall). Hank and Joseph have been estranged for years, and the thought of having to interact with his father is making Hank want to get out of there as soon as possible. That's going to be impossible when Joseph finds himself charged with murder.
Moments in this movie that aren't ripped off from another movie are few. Hank is the lawyer cliche: the bloodsucking lawyer who is blinded by greed and ego that he gets his guilty clients off. Joseph is the small-town conservative who berates him for selling out and losing his values. Glen is the older brother whose promising future was lost after an accident (that Hank was responsible for...of course), while Dale is the obligatory simpleton who is on hand to provide cuteness and faux-sentiment. Vera Farmiga is the hometown girl that got away. And Billy Bob Thornton shows up for a few scenes as a fellow lawyer that Hank once beat and desires revenge.
You know the characters, you know the story, you know pretty much everything that's going to happen in this movie. I wouldn't be so critical of this (after all, I watch all the "stranger within" thrillers I can get) if it had been done well. But it's not. The script is superficial to the extreme, and it's not just predictable in broad strokes. Even the little details are easy to guess before director David Dobkin reveals them, and they don't enhance the film's main storyline because they feel so artificial. Very little in the film feels authentic or believable, and that makes watching "The Judge" feel like watching a bad TV sitcom.
At least Dobkin has assembled a cast talented enough to ensure that the film isn't horrible. It may be totally predictable and built from parts of other, better movies (which include "The Devil's Advocate," "A Few Good Men" and any movie based on a John Grisham book). Robert Downey Jr. is as reliable as they get, but he's coasting through on his charisma. A slippery lawyer with a lightning fast tongue is something Downey can do in his sleep, and sadly, that's what he does here. The role is pure Downey, but I think he's getting bored playing a Tony Stark clone, and it shows. Only when the film gets really into the drama (a phrase I use loosely) does he come alive. Robert Duvall took the part hoping for a shot at another Oscar nomination. He's good, but the constraints of the role limit what he can do with the part. He's also willing to show himself in rather embarrassing situations (I won't say any more to avoid spoilers). Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong are wasted. Both deserve more fame and attention than they get, but they're stuck in roles that could be played by anyone. And while I love seeing Vera Farmiga on screen, I wish she had been given a meatier role. If there's anyone who deserves it, it's her. And Billy Bob Thornton shows up for a quick paycheck too.
A poor choice of director didn't do the film any favors. David Dobkin has never been a risk-taking director, nor one of any considerable talent. He's a director-for-hire, mainly making comedies (few of which are very funny) like "Wedding Crashers" and "The Change-Up." Asking him to direct a movie with Oscar potential is a fatal mistake. This would be a movie for someone like Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood. Or Cameron Crowe. His approach is clinical and without life or personality.
Clearly, Warner Bros. is hoping for some Oscar nominations with this film. I really hope it doesn't get any. I would think, with the mediocre reception it's getting from critics, that it wouldn't, but audience favor plays heavily in their decisions too, and it's making money. The Academy is hard to predict, but hopefully there will be other movies this Oscar season that will make everyone forget about this bland, flavorless (not to mention way overlong) drama. A fate that it deserves.
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