MOVIE REVIEW - The Judge

An all-star cast has been assembled for one of the most anticipated dramas of the fall, with The Judge.

This is a great example of a movie that many people will like simply because of the actors in it. This stars Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dax Shepard, and Leighton Meester.  A really nice mix of big stars, and young up and comers.  It is simply tragic that they were not given a better script to work with.

This is the story of Hank (Downey), and his father who is a 42 year judge  (Duvall)  in rural Indiana.  Hank is a high powered big city lawyer who has moved to Chicago and has never returned. His relationship with this father and family is amazingly bad.  Hank has to return home after his mother dies. While at home, his father is involved in a hit and run auto accident where a man is killed.  And the dead man is one of the judges worst mistakes the judge made 20 years ago in his courtroom.  There is hatred between the two.

The judge is arrested and is charged with first degree murder by a special prosecutor (Thornton) with the trial taking place in the judges small town.  Even though Hank and his father virtually hate one another, Hank ends up defending his father in court.  Will he beat the rap? And what will be the future of their relationship? 

Sadly, this is a two and half hour movie about this insanely dysfunctional family and not really about the trial as much as it should be.  There are so many side plots, and so many stabs at developing too many characters, this movie veers off course time after time.  This is also a very fatiguing movie, as it is constant family bickering and fighting.  The one word that kept creeping into my mind this whole movie was "unpleasant."  This is a drama for sure, and that's fine. But there is so much about this that is really unpleasant. And there are many moments this is not entertaining to watch.

In an effort to develop this family, they successfully make you like virtually no one.  Oh there is an attempt at the end to shine up this nickel, but it's far too late.  You have already seen say too much unpleasantness, and you have been there way too long.

Downey, as great as he can be is the weak link in this movie.  The character written for him, and his interpretation of it, is simply Tony Stark  (Iron Man) as a lawyer. And that is the kiss of death for this movie. This is a large role and he fumbles this around, and at times looks like he's bored and mailing it in.  It's not all his fault. Bad dialogue and a story that is mediocre doesn't help.  I felt this movie was going to be far more about the trial, and his battle with Billy Bob Thornton (who is great by the way in role that is far too small).  But instead we are limited to watching this horribly unlikable family sniping endlessly at each other.

The Judge.  This is a huge opportunity missed.  All these stars, all these Oscar winners and nominees in a script that is reminiscent of a bad evening soap from the 80's.