The Judge (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 141 minutes
Director: David Dobkin
Writers: David Dobkin (story), Nick Schenk (story and screenplay), Bill Dubuque (screenplay)
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Leighton Meester

The Judge opens in Australian cinemas on October 9 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Opens in the United States on October 10 and the United Kingdom on October 17.

Without it's magnificent cast and smart direction by David Dobkin, The Judge would be in danger of becoming just another predictable family redemption melodrama. The saving grace of the charismatic presence of Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall makes sure that what would usually be seen as stereotypical is given a disguise for it to be perceived as new and original. While the disguise may not be as convincing as it could be, the emotional intensity of the performances puts it above the majority of films in its cluster.

High flying Chicago lawyer, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) receives the terrible news that his mother has passed away suddenly and he will have to make his way back to his Indiana rural hometown  for the funeral. The idea of returning to the place he grew up does not appeal to Hank as it means the reunion of he and his estranged father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall). It appears as though it will be a trip long enough only to have a confrontation with his father and be on his way, until it is discovered that his father has been involved in an accident and needs a very good lawyer for him to escape being convicted of murder.

The Judge is not altogether predictable, but neither does it feel like something audiences haven't seen several times before. The family relations storyline about the troubled father-son relationship and about the son returning to his hometown to face his past is extremely predictable and almost painfully stereotypical with elements such as the compulsory encounter with an ex-girlfriend and reminiscing over family photos and films accompanied by nostalgic music. However, the film gains originality when the family aspect is combined with courtroom drama. It is the legal side of The Judge which keeps it intriguing as that is where the unpredictability in the film lies and it's screenplay becomes all the more interesting for it. Unfortunately, the courtroom drama and mystery of what happened on that rainy night are not enough to make the film overly memorable.

Visually the film regains it's stereotypical family melodrama feel. Flashback shots in home movie style are used to visualize memories which Hank has running through his head and the town he returns to is much like any other town in which a character has made an effort to escape only to return to in order to face their demons. Yet it is a beautiful and quaint town which is a perfect place to go to reflect on life and is pleasantly captured on film. Even though the musical score is attempting to be light and nostalgic, it comes across as more dated and timeworn.

As Hank Palmer, Robert Downey Jr. shows how he can regain his charismatic and enjoyable persona and take it emotionally wherever it needs to go. The main source of humour in The Judge is his dialogue, which is as quick and witty as audiences have fondly become accustomed to from such roles as Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes. Yet, Downey gives his most emotional performance in years and is both convincing and wonderfully moving. Robert Duvall is also very good. He is extremely real in his portrayal of a man who is in mourning, but at the same time is angry with the world and very much in denial about his own reality. Downey and Duvall work brilliantly together and there are some truly remarkable confrontation scenes between the two of them.

The Judge is a film with a story like many others, but the strength and intensity of it's performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall gives it the edge to put it above the films in it's class it could be compared to.

6.5/10

Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart
Year: 2009
Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell

In My Own Words
Well, it would only be fitting to review an Oscar winning performance the day after the Oscars. My father went to see “Crazy Heart” last week and was in a cinema with only four other people. Tonight, I was in nearly a full cinema to see the same movie. For how many people say they don’t care about the Oscars, it’s amazing how an Oscar win can increase the number of people who see a movie. Had Jeff Bridges lost the Best Actor Oscar, would the cinema have been packed? I think not. To back up my theory, last year before “Slumdog Millionaire” won it’s Best Picture Oscar, here in Australia barely anybody outside the film buff circles had heard of the film. After it won, it opened in the multiplex cinemas rather in just the independents and ticket sales increased. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing. If the Oscars encourage more people to see quality films and amazing performances, there is nothing at all wrong with that.

And what a performance it is. I hated Bad Blake at the beginning of the film and did not pity him at all, but almost fell in love with him by the end of the film. For a character to have that sort of effect on an audience member, the director and the actor have definitely gone above and beyond in character development. I felt like I experienced Bad Blake’s journey with him. The film also made me feel like going home and listening to country music. Even though it isn’t in the film, I also felt like going to Nashville, the city I associate with country music. I can listen to country music, but going to Nashville to do so is kind of out of my reach right now. It’s fantastic when a film can make you feel all these things. Well done to Scott Cooper and Jeff Bridges.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Crazy Heart” is one of those rare character based films which allow you to go on a roller coaster ride of emotions side by side with its main players. Admittedly, this film will be remembered more for Jeff Bridges Oscar winning performance than for its story. The story has been done before in other films, but a performance of this calibre has not been achieved by Jeff Bridges before and is a performance that will be remembered for years to come. Bad Blake (Bridges) is a washed up country singer who’d life practises are not to be admired. He used to be great, but nowadays he has been reduced to performing in bars and bowling alleys. His life starts to turn around when he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a single mum journalist from Santa Fe who wants to write a story about Bad Blake. She is different than all the other women Bad has met on the road and her and her son leave a mark on him, proving him to be in some ways, not as bad as he thought, but in other ways, worse than what he thought.

The story is the character. Some people may think that not much happens in the movie, but it is what happens to the character is overwhelming and is the story. Although the film can seem a tad slow at times, not one of the scenes is wasted and each scene tells something about the character. The directing by Scott Cooper is superb, not just with his direction of the acting, but the cinematography is also very well done. One cannot critique “Crazy Heart” without mentioning the musical score. The music is original and will be a favourite with all country music fans. However, people who are not fans of country music will also be moved by the lyrics of “The Weary Kind” and “I Don’t Know”.

Not enough praise can be given to Jeff Bridges performance. It is undoubtedly the best of his career. He is at first arrogant and disgusting, but progresses into a lovable and unforgettable character. He at first seems almost one-dimensional, but the pain and sorrow which he feels is completely evident in his face by the end of the film. Credit must also be given to Maggie Gyllenhaal who also gives one of the best performances of her career. She is completely believable as the damaged, protective single mother. Gyllenhaal is perfectly cast and is well deserving of her Oscar nomination. The chemistry between Bridges and Gyllenhaal is good emotionally, but can seem to be physically incompatible.

“Crazy Heart” is the must see film of the year for country music fans, but it is also for non-fans, although true haters of country music may not be able to handle hearing so much of it. “Crazy Heart” is one of the great character based films of the past few years and Bad Blake is definitely a character to be celebrated.
8/10.