This year's premier film for me at the Toronto International Film Festival was The Judge. It was really the only film I happened to be able to get tickets to an afternoon matinée for. I assumed with the cast that it had that it would be at least decent. Well, it wasn't just decent. It was very nearly superb. It wasn't perfect and once I stopped and started to dissect it a little I saw some flaws in it but initially I was prepared to give this film a solid 9 and I'm still thinking about it. This was a truly great drama-comedy for adults that I think almost everyone will enjoy. The professional critics seem to be giving it a resounding "meh." That doesn't surprise me. They don't care for anything that doesn't fit their narrow minded view of what "art" is. Sorry reviewers...but its true. The Judge was as good, in fact in many ways better, than last years critical darling "August: Osage County." However, they are right when most of them say this is a vehicle for Robert Downey Jr. to do what he does best. The man has incredible chemistry on screen and fans of his will absolutely love this because he's being Tony Stark only a lawyer and this has a little more depth and heart than your average Marvel flick.
Robert Downey Jr. is a brilliant, smart talking, sarcastic big city lawyer. The predictability and cookie-cutter character that he portrays is one of the reasons why I hold back giving this a 9. We have seen this type of character before but Downey Jr. is still great at it and he's likable and passionate and he enjoys what he does on screen and you enjoy watching him. He delivers sarcasm and dark humour on point and leads the cast flawlessly. Robert Duvall is breath taking. I have always loved him as an actor but this should be an Oscar nomination for him. It won't because its too mainstream for the critics but Duvall is captivating as the bull-headed, moralistic, small town judge who has been estranged from his son (Downey Jr.) for many years. Together they are beyond dynamite. Their relationship drives this film right into your heart and is mesmerizing. In the way that Streep and Roberts won you over in August: Osage County, Downey and Duvall will bowl you over. Most of the supporting cast are excellent and some are okay at best. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepherd, and Billy Bob Thorton are all really great. D'Onofrio shows signs of being amazing but due to such a big cast and so much focus being on Downey and Duvall, he sort of gets buried but he is still vital to the film. Some say that Strong as the mildly autistic son is unnecessary but I thought he added a certain dab of heart and sweetness to the film though they do use him for a lot of laughs. Thorton is intense as the prosecutor and Shepherd is very good as the small town lawyer at Downey's side. Unnecessary and almost forced characters were Vera Farmiga and Leighton Meester as mother and daughter. I know every film needs a romance story but it felt like it got in the way and should have been cut from the final film.
The Judge is long. Does a drama-comedy that is mostly a mainstream Robert Downey Jr. vehicle need to be 2 1/2 hours...no definitely not. Did I mind? Nope not in the least. I was just starting to think they might be drawing it out just a tad when it ended and it ended well. It told a story, it took its time establishing characters and background of this family, it touched on a hint of a mystery and disease and death and love and despair and redemption and I laughed a lot and I cried a lot and I just really enjoyed it. I felt good after I saw this and I can't wait to watch it again. That to me is the mark of a great film. It entertained me, it was smart and well written with a great cast and great performances. I felt like director David Dobkin who is synonymous with comedy really put his heart and soul into the project and cared a lot about it. He still put a lot of heartfelt laughs in it and it has its drawbacks but it was still really well done. I am willing to overlook the things that they didn't do or did that doesn't make this a critical masterpiece because it entertained me. This is a film every adult can watch and appreciate. And if nothing else Robert Duvall deserves an Oscar period. 8.5/10
Robert Downey Jr. is a brilliant, smart talking, sarcastic big city lawyer. The predictability and cookie-cutter character that he portrays is one of the reasons why I hold back giving this a 9. We have seen this type of character before but Downey Jr. is still great at it and he's likable and passionate and he enjoys what he does on screen and you enjoy watching him. He delivers sarcasm and dark humour on point and leads the cast flawlessly. Robert Duvall is breath taking. I have always loved him as an actor but this should be an Oscar nomination for him. It won't because its too mainstream for the critics but Duvall is captivating as the bull-headed, moralistic, small town judge who has been estranged from his son (Downey Jr.) for many years. Together they are beyond dynamite. Their relationship drives this film right into your heart and is mesmerizing. In the way that Streep and Roberts won you over in August: Osage County, Downey and Duvall will bowl you over. Most of the supporting cast are excellent and some are okay at best. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepherd, and Billy Bob Thorton are all really great. D'Onofrio shows signs of being amazing but due to such a big cast and so much focus being on Downey and Duvall, he sort of gets buried but he is still vital to the film. Some say that Strong as the mildly autistic son is unnecessary but I thought he added a certain dab of heart and sweetness to the film though they do use him for a lot of laughs. Thorton is intense as the prosecutor and Shepherd is very good as the small town lawyer at Downey's side. Unnecessary and almost forced characters were Vera Farmiga and Leighton Meester as mother and daughter. I know every film needs a romance story but it felt like it got in the way and should have been cut from the final film.
The Judge is long. Does a drama-comedy that is mostly a mainstream Robert Downey Jr. vehicle need to be 2 1/2 hours...no definitely not. Did I mind? Nope not in the least. I was just starting to think they might be drawing it out just a tad when it ended and it ended well. It told a story, it took its time establishing characters and background of this family, it touched on a hint of a mystery and disease and death and love and despair and redemption and I laughed a lot and I cried a lot and I just really enjoyed it. I felt good after I saw this and I can't wait to watch it again. That to me is the mark of a great film. It entertained me, it was smart and well written with a great cast and great performances. I felt like director David Dobkin who is synonymous with comedy really put his heart and soul into the project and cared a lot about it. He still put a lot of heartfelt laughs in it and it has its drawbacks but it was still really well done. I am willing to overlook the things that they didn't do or did that doesn't make this a critical masterpiece because it entertained me. This is a film every adult can watch and appreciate. And if nothing else Robert Duvall deserves an Oscar period. 8.5/10