The Judge

SimonTemplar · 17-09-2014 10:24pm #1

This could be a decent drama but the song in the trailer seems horribly inappropriate to the tone of the movie and even the scenes in the trailer.

It looks like they are trying to package a fairly sombre family/court drama as an upbeat feel-good movie. Another reason why I don't really pay attention to trailers anymore.

The movie has great cast though - and bonus points for Vera Farmiga who seems to elevate any movie she's in.

Deisler · 15-10-2014 2:13pm

I have a pair of tickets for preview of The Judge tonight in Screen D'Olier Street at 6.30pm. If anyone wants to go reply and I will PM you.

JP Liz V1 · 15-10-2014 2:52pm

Both Roberts (Duvall and Downey Jr) are on Graham Norton this Friday

razorblunt · 15-10-2014 7:29pm

I saw the first trailer and thought it didn't seem "funny", second trailer was a bit better and realised it wasn't a comedy.

Nervous Wreck · 15-10-2014 7:56pm

What made you think it was a comedy in the first place?

FortuneChip · 15-10-2014 9:34pm

The first trailer looked like a quirky father/son comedy/drama to be fair.

Looks a bit disjointed all in all. Wouldn't be too enthused about it.

cloud493 · 17-10-2014 4:49pm

Its... ok. Theres not a whole lot of humour in it, it seems to be trying to be very sentimental, but in that case, they failed. As a father - son thing, Downey and Duvall didnt feel like they had a lot of chemistry to me.

JohnDaniels · 17-10-2014 10:37pm

I walked out of this today after less than an hour. I'm generally one of those people who will suffer through almost anything once I've started watching but this was so bad. I do tend to do a little research beforehand but found myself looking for something to watch early morning and this was the only thing playing within the time frame available.

The scene in the bar in which he dresses down the local trouble makers only to end up in the phone box with the hot local barmaid was so awful.

I knew nothing about it but couldn't believe what I was watching. Every hackneyed clique is thrown into the mix from the outset of the film. I could pick at lots of thing but frankly it isn't worth my time other than to maybe spare a few others from the torture of this rubbish.

JP Liz V1 · 20-10-2014 12:28am

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

What made you think it was a comedy in the first place?

David Dobkin the director is known mostly for comedies

cloud493 · 20-10-2014 3:16pm

Oh yeah, it also drags. Its shorter than both boyhood and transformers and even gone girl, but its so boring, felt it was much longer.

Shiraz 4.99 · 28-10-2014 10:18am

I believe I saw a completely different film.
The quality of the leads carried the film beautifully, the whole father/son arc was filled in nicely although slow in some parts I found it engaging up to the end.
Couldn't recommend it higher, 7/10.

The potential incest scenario was really creepy though & added nothing to the story, this wasn't meant to be Oldboy

ancapailldorcha · 28-10-2014 10:53am

This is probably the dullest thing I've seen in ages (including Transformers, Mrs. Brown's Boys & American Hustle). It's on 7.8 on IMDB which is why I went to see it. The characters are too flat and derivative to be interesting which kills a story like this one.

poisonated · 29-10-2014 12:59am

I thought it was a very good movie. I would recommend. By the way,

did anyone else feel that Billy bob Thornton's character felt sympathy in the end and did not really feel victorious?

GBXI · 29-10-2014 10:51am

Thought it was an excellent film. The two leads were very good, seemed to fly by which is not always the case with court-room dramas. Definitely recommend.

Looper007 · 29-10-2014 6:30pm

I'm very surprised this is already heading out of the cinemas seen as it has the biggest star in the world in it. Its not perfect but its a very good although its far too long for its own good and why in the hell is the

Is he or isn't he the father of his ex's older daughter

plotline in the film I never know, it would have taken out 15 to 20 minutes of the film. You could have cut out Vera Farmiga part (who I love) and it wouldn't have harmed the film.

Downey Jr is excellent (shame that he seems to be tied up with Marvel films I l like to see him do more non superhero films) as is Duvall.

01-11-2014 3:31am

Seen this and thought it was actually a pretty good film all in all. I enjoyed it.

I actually got quite immersed in it. There is one thing that got me though:

What was the crack with the father dying scene? Why did they have to ham that up sooo much? Him saying his son was the best lawyer he'd seen, and then dying on a boat (their father-son activity growing up), even though he'd been in prison for 7 months before that, just completely took me right out of the film altogether.

I went from being completely engrossed in the film to wondering what time it was and when would it be over. His father dying in jail and then just skip to the funeral would have been a million times better, especially considering the film takes itself so seriously.

Other than that I thought it was relatively enjoyable. Wouldn't watch it again, and one of the people that was with me in the cinema fell asleep about half way in (make of that what you will) but I am glad I seen it, personally. Definitely not for everyone, though.

wandatowell · 02-11-2014 6:43am

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

The potential incest scenario was really creepy though & added nothing to the story, this wasn't meant to be Oldboy

Wasn't that just the weirdest thing they could have possibly added to the movie? And the way

Downey jr

really wasn't too bothered by it either kinda worried me tbh

FortuneChip wrote: »

Looks a bit disjointed all in all.

IMO you hit the nail on the head there. A disjointed mess.

2.5/10

blue note · 02-11-2014 10:13am

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

Couldn't recommend it higher, 7/10[/spoiler]

I saw this last week, and many times before that. We have all seen this story before, but done much better than this. Excellent cast, utterly wasted on this film.

Shiraz, i can't agree with your above quote in a couple of ways!

The Judge

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