Review: The Judge

Though the family drama and the courtroom proceedings trod overly familiar territory, The Judge proves itself to be a worthy watch due to the top-notch performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall.

Downey Jr. is Hank Palmer, an arrogant lawyer known for successfully defending the guilty. "Innocent people can't afford me," he proclaims in a manner both boastful and matter-of-fact. In the midst of divorcing his wife and fighting for custody of his daughter, he's called back to his hometown for his mother's funeral. Reuniting with older brother Glen (Vincent D'Onofrio) and younger brother Dale (Jeremy Strong), he is forced to deal with his father Joseph (Duvall) from whom he's been long estranged.

His intended short stay is lengthened when his father is accused of intentionally running over Mark Blackwell, a local lowlife whom he had sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering his girlfriend. Hank believes his father, a former alcoholic, may have been drunk though Joseph firmly denies it or any memory of the accident whatsoever. When Hank, upon learning of his father's advanced cancer, insists on using the chemotherapy as cause for memory loss, Joseph refuses. A longtime and well-respected judge, the proud patriarch does not want his legacy jeopardised as the reveal of his illness could call his past rulings into question.

The Judge crams a lot in its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time. There's residual friction between Hank and Glen, whose dreams of becoming a major league baseball pitcher were dashed by an accident that involved Hank. There's Dale's mentally challenged state; his future care is cause for concern for Glen. There's Hank's run-in with former girlfriend Sam (Vera Farmiga) and her grown daugther Carla (Leighton Meester), who may be Hank's daughter; though Farmiga is an always welcome presence, this is a subplot that should have been excised.

All of the above are mere diversions from the main event of watching Downey Jr. and Duvall sparring with one another. Though Joseph cannot with any certainty attest that he killed the victim, he believes he had the intention to do so and he is willing to take responsibility for his actions. As his lawyer and son, Hank cannot accept this. Neither man can come to grips with Joseph's mortality. One touching scene has Hank washing his father clean after Joseph loses control of his bowels; Joseph is ashamed but finally allows Hank to help. The scene ends with the two chuckling as Hank's visiting daughter wonders at the goings-on behind the bathroom door.

It is a moment like that along with the climactic courtroom confrontation between father and son when The Judge shines best, with both actors in emotional harmony. Also of note is Billy Bob Thornton as the cool, calm, collected, but very formidable prosecuting attorney Dwight Dickham - a character very much deserving of his own movie.

The Judge

Directed by: David Dobkin

Written by: Nick Schenk, Bill Dubuque

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Billy Bob Thornton, Vera Farmiga, Leighton Meester, Dax Shepard