‘Everyone wants Atticus Finch until there’s a dead hooker in a bathtub...’
This was always destined to be a film disliked by critics. Simple, cliche story. Jobbing director. Forced sentimentality. But if you’re into that kind of thing (as I am) there is a lot here to enjoy. Mainly the performances, which are mighty fine across the board…
Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a big-city lawyer forced to return to his hometown following the death of his mother. Upon arrival, it becomes clear that all is not well with his father Joseph, known locally as ‘the judge’. He goes by that moniker mainly because he’s… well he’s an actual judge. Hank’s childhood sweetheart Samantha (Vera Farmiga) pushes The Judge ever closer to being a reverse Hallmark Christmas movie, while the cast is rounded off by Vincent D’Onofrio and Jeremy Strong as Hank’s loving but distant brothers.
So yeah. The plotting is predictable and derivative. The script saccharine and schmaltzy. But sometimes that is just what is needed. There is a place in the annals for films like this, and I’ve always been a sucker for courtroom drama. It’s the cast that elevates this into something firmly watchable. The opportunity to see Downey Jr. and Duvall squaring off is just too delicious to ignore. Throw in Billy Bob Thornton as a lawyer with an axe to grind and you are absolutely off to a winner.
The Judge is at least half an hour too long, but it also affords an outstanding cast the opportunity to joust with each other, and for that reason, it is worth watching. Ultimately, this is an exploration of family and memory disguised as a courtroom drama. Good stuff.