Told through the lens of a courtroom drama, the story at the heart of The Judge is a simple one: a son tries to connect with his stern fathe...
Told through the lens of a courtroom drama, the story at the heart of The Judge is a simple one: a son tries to connect with his stern father after years apart. To elaborate, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a hotshot Chicago defense lawyer, known among his peers for getting guilty clients off scott free. Summoned back to his home town in Indiana for his mother's funeral, his attempts to reconnect with his father Joseph (Robert Duvall), the local judge, are thwarted because Joseph views Hank as a disappointment. When Joseph is implicated in a hit and run involving the man at the centre of the one case he considers his biggest failure, Hank takes on the case despite Joseph's protests.
What works best about The Judge is a lead pair of actors at the top of their game, elevating a script that works for the most part, but does have its problems. Downey Jr. and Duvall work off each other wonderfully, the sarcastic and self confident Hank immediately clashing with the highly moral, stubborn Joseph on their first meeting after twenty five years. Their numerous fights and heated discussions fizz with emotion as long buried family secrets rear their ugly head, and the pair excel in these scenes. They also know to go right for the heart, and as both their walls come tumbling down, viewing each other as father and son for the first time in over two decades, you can feel your heart strings being plucked, and it will be very hard to stop the emotion from welling up inside of you.
Downey Jr. puts in his best non-Tony Stark related performance in years, playing his usual cock sure fast talker, but giving it a softer, more human edge. It's hard not to feel for Hank as every effort to please his father is met with nothing but contempt. Duvall puts in a masterful performance as the imposing patriarch who has his grown sons still feeling like teenagers whenever he's around. He's all hellfire and brimstone for the most part, but the more time we spend with him, the more this proud veneer washes away, leaving us with a extremely human portrayal that is heartbreaking at times.
Steering away from the emotionally charged family drama, The Judge also works extremely well in the courtroom setting, with Billy Bob Thornton on excellent form as the slick prosecutor, who, much like the rest of the cast, exposes more layers to his character as the story unfolds. These scenes move forward with a great energy, and the story does a great job of presenting you with the facts only when you need to know them, adding a lot of tension.
The rest of the supporting cast are more hit and miss. Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Strong are underused as Hank's brothers, but do make the most of little screen time they are given. The obligatory love interest role is filled by Vera Farmiga, and while she puts in a fine performance, her scenes with Downey Jr. slow the movie to a crawl. Also, a sub plot involving Leighton Meester feels totally out of place and superfluous, plumbing depths the movie doesn't need to, and shouldn't, go to for the sake of some ill advised laughs.
Some script problems aside, The Judge is a powerful drama, anchored by some equally powerful lead performances, that will not fail to move you.
