The Judge

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepherd, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, Emma Tremblay, Balthazar Getty, David Krumholtz
Directed by: David Dobkin
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A charismatic but arrogant lawyer (Robert Downey Jr.) reluctantly returns home when his judge father (Robert Duvall) is arrested for allegedly running down and killing a convicted murderer.

Review:

Tim: I have a very difficult time coming to terms with what I think about The Judge. There are some things I loved, some things I hated, and some that just didn't quite feel right. It all adds up to a bit of a jumbled mess. After a lot of consideration, I'd say the positives outweigh the negatives, but just barely.

One of my biggest complaints is that the whole film just felt like such an Oscar bait movie. You get a couple of big names, give them very dramatic roles, mix in a bit of humor, and you get an Academy Award winner! The reality is that even with so many strong pieces in place, this was never going to be a critical darling. In fact, more critics were negative about the film than were positive. For a film that so obviously had lofty goals, the reality is a bit of a letdown. That didn't sit right with me. If a film is going to go out of its way to present itself as great, it better be able to back that up. The Judge does not do that.

A great deal of the issues stem from director David Dobkin. Dobkin's track record isn't spectacular (I hated Fred Claus and I just don't think he was the right director for this film. Yes, this drama was out of his comfort zone of comedies. I'm not always opposed to that, because it's good for directors to branch out. I just don't think Dobkin had the chops to bring this story to its full potential. With a better director, this could have been one of the best movies of the year. As is, it's just a typical movie.

I really like Robert Downey Jr., but this role just felt a little too firmly entrenched in his wheelhouse. I get why he took the role, but if he's going to do a drama like this, I wish he challenged himself a bit more. Here, he plays the charismatic playboy that actually has a heart buried underneath his rough exterior. Sound familiar? Downey is good in the role, but he's played it before. The movie is really saved by Robert Duvall, who gives a fairly spectacular performance. I was really glad he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I'm glad he didn't win (there were better supporting performances), but it's a good thing he was recognized for this role. Duvall is a great actor and he's still underrated.

The supporting cast is good, but I wish they were utilized better. Vera Farmiga was horribly underutilized here. She needed a better role, badly. I loved seeing Billy Bob Thornton here. His role was small, but he made the most of it. Vincent D'Onofrio was a nice addition and had a few strong moments. Jeremy Strong was good, but I just wondered if his character was really necessary. The mentally challenged brother who films everything felt like a cliche. Dax Shepherd was good. Leighton Meester was a good addition, but she disappears from the film. While Dobkin doesn't use his cast anywhere close to their full potential, there is still so much talent here. As a whole, they elevate this otherwise average film.

The story was fine- it didn't offer anything really new, but it mostly held our attention. There were quite a few unexpected moments. None of these were especially shocking, but at least they inspired us to pay attention. The movie is absurdly long at 141 minutes. There's absolutely no reason for the movie to be that long. I don't know why Dobkin allowed the movie to become so bloated, but it really frustrated me. There were a lot of things I disliked about this film. And yet, there were these great moments, too. One of the most memorable scenes involved Duvall losing control of his bowels. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie depict such a nasty but realistic aspect of humanity like that. I was quite shocked at how graphic that scene became. I give the movie credit for portraying something difficult and embarrassing like that.

When you add up all the good and bad, The Judge is right on the line between a good movie and an average one. Even while writing this review, I've second and third guessed myself. I honestly could go either way. I suppose in the end, I'd consider this a good movie. It's just not one I'd be interested in seeing again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Runaway Jury, Wedding Crashers, Due Date