David Dobkin’s The Judge is a
movie that has one thing and one thing only on its mind – to make its star
Robert Downey Jr. look good. This should
come as no surprise as this is the first film from the actor’s own production
company. Obviously the directive was
“Make the boss shine and keep him in the spotlight as often as possible.” From the on-screen evidence it’s obvious that
Dobkin is a good company man and has more than ably fulfilled the directive
that was passed down to him. However,
the problem with The Judge, other than its predictable storyline and bloated
screenplay, is that the director and screenwriters Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque
have no shame when it comes to generating laughs or pulling at the audience’s
heartstrings. This is a movie that will
stoop to any level to please the lowest-common denominator filmgoer its aimed
at and based on the applause that erupted as the end credits rolled from the
crowd I saw the film with, it’s obvious that Downey Jr. and company will have a
big hit on their hands.
The actor is Hank Palmer, an
arrogant, self-absorbed, brilliant Chicago defense attorney who’s only
interested in exploiting the justice system for his own personal gain. This character is nothing more than Tony
Stark in a courtroom, so Downey Jr. can play this in his sleep. That he’s still able to engage us with this
sort of role speaks to the actor’s innate charm. However, his “all-about-me” routine is
interrupted when he finds out his mother has died and he has to return to the
small town of his youth, Carlinville, Indiana, for the funeral.
It quickly becomes apparent why
Palmer left this tiny berg as it’s steeped in Norman Rockwell tropes and is
also the home of his father Joseph (Robert Duvall), who has presided over the
same courtroom for 42 years and regards the justice system with respect. Needless
to say, Hank and the Judge, the term his father insists on being called, don’t
see eye-to-eye on anything and haven’t spoken in 10 years. His older brother
Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) and cognitively impaired younger sibling Dale (Jeremy
Strong) have stayed to hold down the fort but it’s wearing on them. Needless to
say, Hank can’t wait to leave and is actually on the plane to do so, but he returns
to Carlinville when he finds out the Judge may be charged with vehicular
manslaughter after an accident involving someone he once sentenced results in
that person’s death.
This sets up a dynamic that allows
Downey Jr. and Duvall to go at each other again and again as their characters’
differing views of the justice system and each other comes to the fore again
and again. Despite the many heated
arguments that erupt between them – and there’s quite a few – it’s quite
obvious that we’re headed towards a scene of reconciliation, constructed to
wring a tear or two. However, it takes
far too long to get there as the film could do with perhaps one less
confrontation and ditching a subplot involving Hank’s old flame (a fine Vera
Farmiga) all together as the movie isn’t original enough to justify its bloated
running time.
That being said, Dobkin and Downey
Jr. must be credited with assembling a fine cast that does their best to
elevate this material above its potboiler roots. Billy Bob Thornton is charismatic and intimidating
as opposing council Dwight Dickham while Dax Shepard provides welcome comic
relief as C.P. Kennedy, a local attorney who’s in over his head when he’s
initially hired by the judge. However, it’s Downey Jr. and Duvall’s show and
the contrast in their acting styles is fun to watch. While the former has no problem hamming it
up, going to extremes whenever the opportunity presents itself, the latter
somehow finds a grain of truth in every scene he’s in and provides a sense of
sincerity this material desperately needs. We forgive Downey Jr. his
transgressions because his approach is in keeping with his character but we
admire Duvall for his workmanship, grinding away at the material until he finds
something real.
Unfortunately, the script lacks
such integrity. I can almost forgive
Schenk and Dubuque’s inability to let a single emotional moment go by without
milking it for all its worth. However, the fact that they use the character of
Dale for comic relief is cheap at best, offensive at worst. Yet, what’s so frustrating is that despite
its laziness and predictability, The Judge is, for the most part,
entertaining. In the end, I wasn’t proud of the fact that I liked as much of it
as I did.
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2014.
