Father & son drama

Film review: The Judge

MANILA, Philippines - This week’s Warner release, The Judge, pits two highly-regarded Hollywood thespians, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, in a courtroom drama, that is as much about family and the back-story of hurt and resentments, as it is about legal proceedings.

As the father and local town judge Joseph Palmer, Duvall masterfully takes on the role of king of his small pond; while Downey as the hotshot Chicago defense attorney/middle son Hank Palmer who comes back on account of his mother’s passing, plays prodigal son resentful of having to return home and face again the coldness showered on him by his father. At one point, central to the film’s theme is the notion that no matter how many miles you cover running away, you may end up following the footsteps of your father — and that your little town, the people you grew up with, will always be there in your heart.

Directing the lengthy legal procedural/family saga is David Dobkin, working on an original story he collaborated on with Nick Schenk, who in turn produced the screenplay with Bill Dubuque. Dobkin is known for Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights, so one could think The Judge would be a peculiar choice for him; but given the more than two-hour running time, Dobkin creates shafts of humor that pepper the screenplay quite wisely. The film’s plot has mostly to do with Hank returning home, seeing a father who at best, is a diminished version of himself given his wife’s death and his own illness. Events explode when the judge is suspected of having run down a local townie, and is brought to trial. We are thankful then for Dobkin’s experience with light moments; most memorable of which being the interplay between Downey’s character, an old flame Samantha (Vera Farmiga) and her daughter Carla (played by Leighton Meester); and which is carried through scenes later with Hank’s own daughter Lauren (Emma Tremblay).

If I would criticize the film, I would talk about the length and how the resolution seems wrung out and extended, all for the admittedly poignant closing shot. I would also mention how the lighting of the courtroom scenes is overplayed, creating too high a drama that isn’t fully justified by what is transpiring. The scenes shared by Downey and Duvall will naturally be the highlights of the film, and both deliver on cue. The set piece of a parked car in the middle of a country road, and both characters walking in opposite directions while Hank’s two brothers are left stranded in the car, is a great one.

And honestly, it’s just great to see Downey taking on a very human role. For years now, we’ve only seen him as the egotistical, wisecracking superhero or the pedantic, know-it-all historical figure (Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes). I still remember him best as the vulnerable Chaplin, and while that film was panned by the critics, I loved the control and texture Downey brought to the role. This one comes close, and I welcome the humanity that he gives this portrayal.