ROMAN J. ISRAEL

US, 2017, 122 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Linda Gravatt, Amanda Warren, Hugo Armstrong, Tony Plana.
Directed by Dan Gilroy.

Roman J. Israel is an unexpected title for a film featuring Denzel Washington. It must have been a role important for him because he is one of the producers of the film.

This is a film very much for an American audience. It presupposes an interest in American law and its interpretation – not so interesting or comprehensible by other audiences, even those from English speaking countries.

However, it must also have hit an American nerve because Denzel Washington was one of the five nominees for Actor in a Leading Role for the 2017 Academy Awards. (The winner was Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour.)

The film opens arrestingly, if somewhat mysteriously, with Roman Israel accusing himself of acting outside the law and general legal and ethical principles. It then goes back three weeks to portray what Roman had done and then returns to his self-accusation and self-condemnation.

Roman J. Israel, Esq – his explaining that Esquire ranks between a name and knight – works in a law office, the partner of his former professor whom he admires. However, the partnership has not prospered financially and the professor suffers a stroke and soon dies. All might have been well if Roman was an ordinary character. However, he is recognised by other lawyers as something of a savant. He is absolutely methodical, generally uses old-fashioned methods of recording cases and finding them. His knowledge is extensive, well-informed, full of detail about legal information.

Another student of the professor, much younger, George (Colin Farrell) is sent in to take charge on behalf the previous manager and the profesor’s wife. Courteous but firm, he takes an initially dim view of Roman’s methods, cases and his personality. Which means that Roman has to look for another job, meeting a sympathetic lawyer who invites him to give a talk to students (some of whom mock him for his old ideas and manner). She is Maya, played by Carmen Ejogo, who admires Roman and is influenced in her own career by his principles.

Roman is very sympathetic to the accused, working hard on their cases and defence. George realises his qualities and does employ him.

Then Roman undergoes a moral crisis – about which the audience will have to speculate, why it happens, what is the trigger… He chooses to become respectable, get rid of his old clothes and buy smart suits and shoes, leave his old apartment and inspect a very fashionable new building, trim his Afro, a transformation that makes him look like her expectations of Denzel Washington.

The occasion for the change it is his giving information about a murderer and receiving the large reward.

The repercussions on Roman are forceful, affect his work, his conscience, feeling a threat to his life.

Which brings us back to the self-accusation and George and Maya becoming aware of what he had done.

And the film has a rather sombre ending. It was written and directed by Dan Gilroy who wrote and directed the very effective thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler.

1. 21st-century American story? Law, economy, Justice? The American Heritage?

2. The title, the character, as portrayed by Denzel Washington? The title and Esq, between a name and a knight?

3. The Los Angeles settings, the city, apartments, the new and expensive apartment, legal offices, courts, restaurants? The musical score?

4. The framework: the law, universal law, Roman’s self-accusation, his beliefs, judgement on him? The reprisal of these themes after the audience seeing what Roman had done?

5. Roman, the background of his studies, his admiration for Jackson, 35 years working in law, 26 years with Jackson, the work, his being something of a savant, his attention to detail, old methods, the paper files?

6. Jackson, as a lecturer, his reputation, his collapse, in the hospital, his wife and secretary, the sadness of his death? The consequences for the firm? At his funeral?

7. The phone, its failure, financial difficulties, George being appointed to supervise the transition? The initial impression of George from the audience? Roman’s impression? George and his impression of Roman?

8. Action over three weeks? Roman, needing a job, going for interviews? Meeting with Maya, her sympathies, no job? Her inviting him to give the speech? His going, his topic, the reaction of the students, the feminist and their criticisms? Maya and her reaction? Roman inviting her to go out for dinner? Her confession, her dependence on him? The final meeting? Maya and her future – influenced by Roman and walking in his steps?

9. The application for jobs, failing? Interviewers laughing at him? The savant, the impression? His knowledge? His blunt talk? His having cases, being urged for the continuances, his going to the courts, prisons, arguing the cases? George and his attitude?

10. George as a character, his age, career, memories of his studies, idealistic, business to law, influenced by Jackson? His company, hiring and firing? The case of the murderer, the mother, Roman handling the case, the prisoner’s death in prison?

11. Roman and the re-evaluation of his life and career, the information about Carter, contacting the Armenian, the money, collecting the reward? Shopping, the suits, shoes, changing his hair, the interviews for the fashionable apartment, the contract? Maya and the meal? Going to the shore, eating the doughnuts, allowing the owner to keep the change? His new life?

12. At work, his idealistic approach, the others, joking at him, asking him information about cases? His work, collecting the books, writing papers? In himself, no family, the choice of the career?

13. Going to the prison, the Carter case, the visit, Carter and his threats, Roman and his fear?

14. Moving from his apartment, the Uhaul truck, driving, pursuits, his being paranoid, stalking him on the road, going into the desert, the young men trying to help? Maya ringing him?

15. George and Maya in the bar, Roman and the truth about the reward? His wanting to return it?

16. The hitman, pursuit, his death? George following?

17. George the court? Returning the money?

18. Law, integrity and authenticity – a moralising table?