Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Judge (2014) Robert Downey Jr. and his wife have a lot tied up in the legal drama “The Judge”. Robert Downey Jr. not only stared in the movie but also served as the executive producer. His wife Susan Downey performed the task of producer in her own right. She has produced over a dozen Hollywood films. The producers provided $50 million for the making of the film. I wish them well. The film opened in 5th place with a three day weekend cumulative gross of only $13 million. They may have to wait a while to see their money return to them. Robert Downey Jr. shines as the very conflicted, very high powered lawyer with no known scruples. He makes his extravagantly good living by expertly and expensively defending wealthy and successful criminals. He doesn't defend the innocent and wrongly accused because “they can't afford me.” He reflects all that we despise in the legal profession. We like him because of his obvious devotion to his daughter and his also obvious shock and hurt when his wife becomes unfaithful. His joy and pain make him accessible not his moral virtues, of which he has none. He is called back to the Midwest to attend his mother's funeral. Robert Duvall, in yet another spectacular acting performance, plays “The Judge”. He is upright, moral, devoted to the essence of the law-justice-in a way that his son is not and for which he despises his own son. On the night of the funeral, he strikes a bicyclist in the rain and kills him. Then things begin to become clear even as they become more complicated. The film runs an unusually long two hours and 21 minutes. I think it runs just long enough to cover all the points in the story. The story is well worth watching and listening to. There are no car chases, no half naked starlets and no explosions, just very human lives coming apart or together on the big screen by actors of the first quality from a rich and generous script. Also appearing are Billy Bob Thorton as the aggressive and vengeful prosecutor and Vincent D'Onofrio as the older son of the Judge. We know D'Onofrio from the TV smash “Law and Order”. He give us a portrayal of a violently wronged man who goes on with his life with stoicism, dignity and that enormously deep kind of Midwestern decency. All this in a few moments on screen in a supporting role. We know director David Dobkin better for his comic films like “Shanghai Knights” and “Wedding Crashers” but with “The Judge” he shows he can do drama too. He put in some clever director shots which he might think add interest to the film but which I noticed-noticing the director more often than not detracts from the flow of the story. Two writers had a hand in the excellent script. Bill Dubuque comes before us as a first time scriptwriter. His partner Nick Shenk has only one other script to his credit, but it was a master piece. He wrote the script for “Grand Torino”. The film is “R” rated for theme. Some movie goers complain that not enough films are made that engage the mind while strumming the heart strings. You have one here with this carefully crafted, brilliantly acted four saw blade film. The film ends with a number of unanswered question on the future life of the lawyer son. We are given reason to be hopeful that the answers will come with a positive result. Don't the best stories leave us wanting more?