Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Movie : The Judge - Defend Your Honor


PLOT

Successful yet arrogant Chicago lawyer, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr) returned to his hometown in Carlinville, Indiana for his mother's funeral, leaving behind his wife who wants a divorce and a young daughter. Upon learning that his father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall) is suspected of murdering a man he sent to prison years ago, Hank extended his stay to defend his father. Along the way, he reconnects with his two brothers and at the same time reconciled his differences with his aging father.


The chemistry and performance between Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall is simply amazing. Put the two stubborn men together in a room and the discussions will often end up in a bickering session. Robert Downey Jr. even though he is nearing fifty this year, still display that charisma, that cockiness, just like Iron Man. Robert Duvall, in his early eighties played the role of a judge-turned-convict well too. 

THOUGHTS

There's a few court-room scenes and some parts of their dialogue may be a little too deep, the way lawyers talk. The only issue that bf and I both agreed is how cluttered the whole movie is. There's simply too much sub-plots. From the divorce that Hank is going through, to he defending his father in the murder case, to him rekindling with his high school lover, to him and his brothers' relationship, to his daughter coming over to meet her grandpa. All these within the 2.5 hours of show time. Apart from that, I quite enjoyed the movie. I was touched by the scene when Hank cleared his father's mess in the toilet without any complain, displaying gesture of unconditional love. The realization by Hank that his father is aging and suffering from last stage cancer and why he treats him in a strict way when he was young depicts how some troubled relationship between father and son is even in real life. The movie serves as a sort of reminder to audience on how blood is thicker than water. 


THANK YOU

Won this preview screening from GV's Instagram contest, requirement is to take a picture of oneself in our smartest lawyer/judge's look and post on Instagram with the specify hastag and GV Movie Club membership number. This is the winning Instagram photo of me edited with the judge's hair wig. 

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