New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Film Review: The Judge


By By Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com

originally published: 10/19/2014


Back in the 90s, the courtroom thriller saw a revival, thanks mainly in part to the popularity of the novels of John Grisham. Adaptations of Grisham's work flooded the market for a few years, but despite directorial heavyweights like Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Altman lending their talents, none of these films rose above mediocrity, and lent themselves all too comfortably to parody (Think TV sitcom 30 Rock's 'The Rural Juror'). Two decades on, The Judge feels almost like a postmodern take on the genre. It hits every cliched note, but asks us to forgive it for doing so by winking at the audience. But acknowledging that you're giving us nothing we haven't seen before doesn't hide the fact that you're giving us nothing we haven't seen before.

The film opens with one of the classic cliches of the courtroom thriller, as Downey Jr.'s hotshot big city lawyer, Hank Palmer, is confronted by a disgruntled prosecutor in the men's room during a case recess. "This is a terrible cliche," Tony Stark, er, sorry, Hank remarks. "Indeed it is," we answer, presuming the movie has some new tricks up its sleeve if it's willing to readily acknowledge such an offense. But then we immediately get another cliche, that of the embittered city man forced to return to the small town he severed ties with and vowed never to return to, when Hank heads to rural Indiana to attend his mother's funeral. The reason Hank holds such loathing for his hometown is his estranged relationship with his father, Joe (Duvall), the town's judge. (Would a one horse town like this have its own courthouse?) Hank and Joe rekindle their mutual hatred, and Hank is about to board a plane back to the city when he learns his father has been arrested on a murder charge. You can guess the rest for yourselves, but it's no spoiler to reveal Hank becomes his old man's lawyer.

A Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay's 'The Scientist' accompanies the film's end credits, and serves as a metaphor for the film itself. Nelson imbues the song with a dignity it doesn't deserve, and the stellar cast assembled here does just the same for the movie.

The Judge commits many crimes; it's overly manipulative (we're asked to empathize with Duvall's suspected murderer simply because he's old and fragile), it's borderline offensive (Hank's mentally challenged brother serves as little more than a device to deliver exposition, while Midwesterners are roundly portrayed as idiots), and there are bizarre comedic subplots (Hank makes out with a bargirl, only to wrestle with the idea that she may be the daughter he never knew he had). But Duvall, Downey Jr., D'onofrio (as Hank's older brother) and Emma Tremblay (Hank's young daughter) deliver performances that transcend the cliched characters written on the page. Duvall is particularly impressive, and any Oscar talk that might surround this film must surely be centred on his terrific turn. Equally, Janusz Kaminski's elegant cinematography belongs in a better movie than this.

There's a market for this sort of thing, one that's probably gone hungry in the years since the genre's Grisham heyday. Precisely by striking all the familiar notes (do all of these movies have to be set in rural America?), it will likely find a satisfied core audience. If you're not a devotee of Grisham and his ilk, however, there's little beyond some great performances to keep you satisfied.

If you do check it out, have a go at figuring out the movie's timeframe. I wasn't paying strict attention to this element, but it seemed to me like the whole movie, court case and all, took place over no more than a couple of weeks.

5 out of 10




Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


How

How to Train Your Dragon in Concert

Friday, July 11, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: film


 

How

How to Train Your Dragon in Concert

Saturday, July 12, 2025 @ 2:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


 

FREE

FREE SUMMER MOVIE: Moana 2

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 @ 7:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


 

FREE

FREE SUMMER MOVIE: Moana 2

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 @ 10:30am
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


 

FREE

FREE SUMMER MOVIE: The Wild Robot

Tuesday, July 22, 2025 @ 7:00pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: film


 



Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info





 

EVENT PREVIEWS

The

The ShowRoom presents: UNSTREAMABLE CINEMA – Four Daring Films You Won't Find Online

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- This summer, The ShowRoom proudly launches UNSTREAMABLE CINEMA—a provocative new series showcasing four bold and controversial films that are currently unavailable on any streaming platform. These are rare, one-night-only opportunities to see these uncompromising works on the big screen, where they belong.



Fall

Fall 2025 New Jersey Film Festival Preview

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Film Festival returns to Rutgers University September 5 through October 10, 2025. As it has done the last few years, the festival will include select in-person screenings with all films available via video on-demand (VOD) as well. There are also a few screenings available only via VOD. Twenty films will have their New Jersey or Area Premiere (Middlesex County).



The

The Levoy Theatre hosts the CUT International Short Film Festival

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre hosts the CUT International Short Film Festival September 19-20, 2025. The festival's motto is 'Short Films for Quick Minds'. Its aim is to become the premier festival in New Jersey for short form films.



Count

Count Basie Center for the Arts presents An Evening With Francis Ford Coppola and screening of "Megalopolis"

(RED BANK, NJ) -- Legendary director, Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders) is bringing his monumental 2024 film, Megalopolis, to select cities across the country. The tour kicks off at the Count Basie Center for the Arts on Sunday, July 20, 2025 at 7:00pm.



The

The Williams Center to Screen "Wayward Kin" by David Joseph Volino

(RUTHERFORD, NJ) -- After a four-year-long production process, filmmaker and New Jersey native, David Joseph Volino, is sharing the full-length feature, Wayward Kin, with local audiences. See the film for one night only at The Williams Center in Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The screening begins at 7:00pm with the cast and crew in attendance.