The Judge – Film Review

The hype around this first release from Robert Downey Jr’s new production company has focused on the Iron Man and Sherlock star, but The Judge is essentially Robert Duvall’s film. The 83-year-old veteran turns in a startlingly visceral portrayal of a proud and principled man wrestling with his fading faculties and doomed to relive decades-old bad decisions. Duvall’s titular judge finds himself in the dock on a murder charge; Downey Jr is the hot-shot lawyer son who returns home to defend him and rebuild their shattered relationship. The clichés of courtroom dramas and father-son bonding are trotted out but the cast does more than enough to make you care about these stereotypical but eminently believable characters.