The Judge

If there is one film i hope you all have seen with Robert Downey. Jr´s career, i hope it is Natural Born Killers. You thought i was going to say Iron Man ? Probably, i do enjoy all 3 films, but i am actually more interested in the films where he portrait different characters, as in Natural Born Killers. It was actually one of my favourite films of the 90´s, with a very disturbed and twisted story of Mickey Knox ( Woody Harrelson ) and Mallory Knox ( Juliette Lewis ), 2 mass murderers with no limits. It was a very original motion picture from controversial director Oliver Stone, and i love how he put the film together, as a massive insane violence ride. Robert Downey. Jr continued his career, trying to do different characters. One of the earlier films that should be mentioned is U.S. Marshalls, with Tommy Lee Jones. As the new century began, after some mediocre releases, he finally hit correctly with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang with a surprisingly good Val Kilmer by his side. It was not a box office hit, but critics agreed, this was a unexpected solid film. As Iron Man was released in 2008, Robert Downey. Jr was back on top, including a new movie adaption of Sherlock Holmes that became a big box office success. After some really tough years in drug addiction, and personal problems, things seems to be in control at the moment, and he continue to work on different film projects. The Judge is a new film by director David Dobkin, who directed one of my favourite comedies of 2005 called Wedding Crashers. This seems to be a much more serious film, and i was curious to see what Robert Downey. Jr and Robert Duvall would deliver together on screen. A criminal drama with a great cast, does The Judge have enough to deliver a solid motion picture, or is this a court film who will make you fall asleep ?

Hank Palmer ( Robert Downey. Jr ) is a defense attourney in Chicago. He tries to make sure he will please every client, doing what he knows best. One day in court, he gets a phone call from his brother Glen ( Vincent D'Onofrio ). He deliver the tragic news that their mother have died. Hank have to go back to his small hometown of Carlinville, Indiana. This will give him a chance to spend time with family, including with his Little brother Dale ( Jeremy Strong ), who is mentally handicapped, and his father Joseph Palmer ( Robert Duvall ). Hank Always looked up to his father, since he is a very respected judge, putting away many criminals in prison. After the funeral, things do not go as planned for Hank and his family. They don´t get along for many reasons, until Hank decide to travel back to Chicago and never come back. On the flight back to Chicago, his brother Glen calls. Not very happy about the situation, Hank finally answer the phone. His dad Joseph is in trouble, police have proof that he might have killed someone with his car. Since Hank is a defense attourney, he knows how to deal with police and the justice system. But can he save his own father from this situation ?

The Judge reminds me of 90´s films like The Pelican Brief, The Client and The Rainmaker. All these films may have different plots, but they all take place in court, handling different cases. The difference with this film, is that there is a much more deeper message to be told. How would you handle the situation, knowing your father might be convicted to jail ? Especially since he is a very respected judge, and have put many criminals behind bars. The cast including Robert Downey. Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton all have a chance to deliver some solid performances. Especially Robert Duvall, he really steals the show in The Judge. If anyone would tell you that they never heard of him, they need to be taken to therapy. If you love movies, you will know who Robert Duvall is, simple as that. Since he is the biggest strength of this film, he also makes sure you feel interested in the story. One problem i had with The Judge is the length. Almost 2 hours and 20 minutes. It is not a big problem, but the storyline feels drawn out sometimes. It feels like director David Dobkin tried to make The Judge a very majestic motion picture. I will say it looks good, the scenes in court looks great, but i still feel that the story is a bit too long. Robert Downey. Jr does a very dramatic performance here, something we don´t see him do very often. I suppose we are used to see him doing more action films, like Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. So this is a good sign, that he tries to do a different genre and character. The Judge tries to bring up the importance of a well working justice system, and what happens when one of your family members is in trouble with the law. The case surrounding the father Joseph Palmer give you details of what happened, and you will have to think for yourself if he should be convicted. I suppose that since Joseph have worked as a judge all his life, it is an interesting plot what happens when he is forced to face reality. Considering what films director David Dobkin have directed in the past, this is one of his better films. If you loved the court thriller drama films of the 90´s, you might actually find yourself pleased about The Judge. Apart from the length, i found myself enjoying The Judge, especially from a law perspective.

Rating: DDD