THE JUDGE
US, 2014, 142 minutes, Colour.
Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duval, Vera Farmiga, Emma Tremblay, Vincent D' Onofrio, Billy Bog Thornton, Ken Howard, David Krumholz, Jeremy Strong, Leighton Meister, , Balthasar Getty,
Directed by David Dobkin.
It was a bit of a shock to find a reviewer referring to this rather serious film as something of a soap opera. However, in the early part of the film, with the establishing of characters, the setting up of relationships in a dysfunctional family, the sadness of a mother’s death, some melodramatics in a small Indiana town, the idea of some soap opera aspects did come to mind.
But, soap opera is not exactly the tone of the latter part of the film. It is much more serious, probing character, probing relationships, probing integrity, probing justice and the law.
As might be expected from the title, this is a film about law, prosecution and defence, the realities of justice and lack of justice. The judge of the title is Joseph Palmer, played with his usual power by Robert Duval. At one stage he refers to his character’s age as 72 – but the actor made this film at the age of 82, a strong performance by anyone let alone a veteran at this age. The other star of the film is Robert Downey Jr, playing his son, a hotshot lawyer in Chicago, no holds barred. But he has long left his home town and has not returned to see his family, not even his mother to whom he had been devoted.
The tone of the film is set by the opening sequences with Downey, literally peeing on his prosecuting opponent, very glib with his words, extraordinarily shrewd, but then receiving the news of his mother’s death and asking for a continuance of the trial he is involved in.
There were a number of films in the early 1990s where very successful men experience some kind of emotional crisis which led them to reassess their life and their work and move on to a new path. Some examples were The Doctor, Regarding Henry, The Fisher King, starring prominent actors, William Hurt, Harrison Ford, Jeff Bridges. Here is Robert Downey Jr with the possibilities of some kind of change in his life, facing the realities of divorce, his devotion to his little daughter, and, most of all, meeting his father again after many decades.
The emotional crisis is for the whole family, including Henry’s older brother, Glen (Vincent D’Onofrio) who has lived in the town all his life and the autistic younger brother, Nate (Jeremy Strong). Henry also meets his love in High School, Sam, Vera Framiga, who challenges his memories about the past and his abandoning her as well as the family. As the screenplay unfolds, there are flashbacks to Henry’s relationship with his father, very tough in his stances, although he explains that he could see his son going wrong and felt that this was the best way to deal with him. Audiences, interest in father-son relationships, will find much to be interested in and moved by.
Audiences interested in the law will also find much to be interested in. While Hank is a clever and shrewd, articulate lawyer in Chicago, when he has to return to his home town in Indiana at the death of his mother, we realise the distance between himself and his father, but his admiration for him as a judge when he goes into court to listen to him. The events on the day of his mother’s burial are critical, when the judge went to the supermarket to buy some things for the family and there is news of the death of a man who committed murder in the town, had spent 20 years in jail, and was not liked by the judge. When the judge has to go to court, Hank defends him, finds out about his medical and health background, preps his father for the cross examination. Billy Bob Thornton appears as the prosecutor, a sharp performance as he rivals Hank in his abilities to probe and to impress the jury. There are many telling moments in the interplay of the questioning.
Ultimately, this is a story of the judge’s integrity, what he did or did not do at the time of the death, his state of mind and memory, and prepared to accept the jury’s verdict.
An interesting blend of the humane and the legal.
1. A Hollywood prestige film? Entertaining?
2. The cast, their careers, Robert Downey Jr versus Robert Duval?
3. The locations, Chicago, the law courts? The Indiana town, the countryside, homes, the courts, diners, the markets…? The musical score?
4. The title, the focus on the judge? His son? Legal aspects, the law, integrity, prosecution, defence, police work?
5. The theme of fathers and sons? The strict father, the loving husband, the treatment of Glenn, the oldest boy and his baseball talent, his injury? Henry, blaming him, reckless, 17 years old, the accident, the father trying to prevent Henry going off the rails despite being hard? Alienating his son? Nate, his autism, his good nature, the camera, people treating him as retarded? The family support? The judge and his anger at seeing the home movie and destroying the machine?
6. Introduction, Chicago, the tone, the courts, clients, wealthy? The prosecutor, Hank peeing, the discussion about cases, ruthlessness? His telling the client and what to expect? the news about his mother, and asking for the continuance? at home, his wife, the alienation, infidelity? Lauren line, his love and care, wanting custody?
7. Going home, the years, the bonds with his brothers? going to view his mother’s body, his grief? going upstairs in the court, listening to his father, anticipating his comments? the funeral? the formalities of his father’s meeting him, hugging others, just acknowledging Hank? Critical of Hank’s always backing in his car? going to the bar, his brothers, the thuggish men and Hank’s explaining who they were and what they had done, their backing off? Cindy at the bar, the bond with her? Meeting Carla, provocative, the sexual encounter? meeting Sam, the story, Carla her daughter?
8. Glenn’s life, his age, career, his kids, his wife? settled in the town? sometimes desperate, close to his father, and the responsibility for Nate?
9. Nate, his age, agreeable, his camera, taking the films, showing the film to the family, his father being upset, smashing the projector?
10. The judge, going out on the day of the funeral, to the supermarket, his own car, the damage, information about the death, his being charged? Connection with the deceased, his crimes, the court, condemnation, in jail for 20 years? the damage to the car, the police and interrogation, the evidence, blood on the car?
11. Hank taking the case, preparation, C.P.Kennedy and his always be being sick? prepping his father? the desire to spread reasonable doubt?
12. The case, judge, information about the time taken for the judge to drive, CCTV evidence? Dwight Wickham, his attitude, the past encounters with Hank, his attitudes in court, the questioning of the witnesses, the Detroit policeman and the issue of skids on the road with the death of the roadkill, or not? the jury selection, the range of opinions, the bumper stickers, the choices? the judge, his not remembering?
13. The dead man and his mother, her theatric grief and Hank finding she had visited him twice in 20 years?
14. The doctor, cancer, treatment, the consequences and effects? the judge faling to remember Gus’s name?
15. The scene with the judge, incontinence, Hank coming in, cleaning him, the shower? Lauren at the door?
16. The judge more humane, to Hank’s surprise more kindly to Lauren than to Hank?
17. The clash in the court, the cross examinations, Wickham and his questions? The judge sacking his son, unable to do this until the end of questioning?
The judge admitting his dislike of the deceased, his probable hunting him down, but not being able to remember? The jury?
18. The sentence, the judge accepting it, Wickham going to Hank, and quietly leaving? Hank weeping?
19. The aftermath with his brothers?
20. Hank and his fishing the judge, going to prison, allowed out for compassion, Henry meeting him? Going fishing and, their talk, the touch of reconciliation, his father’s death?
21. Sam, her approaches, love for Hank, going to the restaurant, her owning it, wanting to stay in the town, the story of Carla and her education?
22. Back in Chicago, the toilet sequence with the prosecutor, Hank and his change of attitude, his change of heart, behaviour…? his future?
