Marshall - Review

Marshall

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell, Director Reginald Hudlin's tells the 1941 story of a young man named Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) who crisscrossed the nation, North and South – East and West fighting for the legal justice of Negroes in America. The same young lawyer who eventually would try 32 cases before the Supreme Court, including Brown vs The Board of Education that ended segregation in America and who also would be appointed as the first African American Justice on the United States Supreme Court.

Principally based on an early 1941 trial in the career of Thurgood Marshall it follows the parallel track story line of his legal career as chief legal counselor for the NACCP as well as the specific legal drama itself of a black chauffeur limo driver named Joseph Spell (Sterling Brown) who is charged with raping a wealthy white socialite Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson) in very conservative Connecticut.

Specifically, Joseph Spell is charged with both sexual assault and attempted murder of his white socialite employer (Kate Hudson). Marshall realizing his client is going to be steamrolled he request that he be admit to represent his client in court by a residing Connecticut based lawyer. But he is quickly muzzled by the segregationist court Judge named Foster (James Cromwell) and is denied to be the lead counsel in the case. Instead Marshall develops another strategy by compelling local lawyer Jewish Sam Friedman to represent his client in court as the lead attorney while Marshal would provide the day to day strategy of the trial itself. But Friedman initial bucks at the idea of helping Marshall and Spell fearing his involvement in such a highly racially charged case would bring about Anti-Semitic actions towards him, his family and the local Jewish community as a whole. But after much artful persuasion by Marshall Attorney Friedman reluctantly agrees to try the case.

Together you see two the men Marshall and Friedman working as equal partners with both mounting a vigorous and compelling defense in the backdrop of an environment of northern racial and Anti-Semitic bigotry. It’s their partnership in this high profile case that eventually served as the template for Marshall's creation of the NAACP legal defense fund to help fight injustice and everywhere in the United States.

REVIEW: “Marshall is a solid piece of film making with plenty of surprises and excellent acting across the board. Overall, Director Reginald Hudlin show’s “Marshall” from many layered human perspectives. As a highly intelligent trial lawyer, then as a smart and intuitive judge of personalities and human temperament. As a standing tall fearless warrior for justice under constant threats to his life to a loving and nurturing husband. But what comes through above all else was that Thurgood Marshall was a personable principled man of great character and deportment and it is Actor Boseman who gives a top notch fine performance (again) in his interpretation of Marshall character without ever resorting to any moments of Hollywood clichés or superficiality. Boseman keeps his Thurgood Marshall very grounded throughout as a pillar of constant strength, intellect and personal fortitude, always keeping his actually interpretation of this historic man’s life seemingly fresh in every film frame. Humanely fresh where the larger principled idea that “right always beat might” was his guide. But Boseman also showed Marshall not to be anyone’s push over either. He was also a man completely unafraid even under extreme racial duress and pressures to use his mind and books to great effect as quickly as any cowboy would use his guns.

But it is actor Josh Gad as Jewish attorney Sam Friedman who is the surprising revelation in the film. Gad’s “Sam” goes from being a rather unassuming character to an earnest powerful personality in both his private – religious life as well as his work as the lead lawyer in the court room during his compelling questioning and cross examination. We watch Sam Friedman evolve from being a reluctant shy man, not wanting to make any local waves, to someone who comes to the realization of a much larger moral reality. Specifically putting the moral pieces together in his own mind that he too was a believer and fighter for justice of all.

I enjoyed every minute of this 1:58 minute running time film. And while at times the story did get a little over melodramatic and theatrical you will still see it as I did as a brilliant encapsulating brief moment in time. Ultimately the film showcases quite effectively how sometimes a small insignificant footnote in time can have a much broader historical impact on a nation as a whole.

The movie title may say “Marshall”, but the story masterful shows that actors Boseman and Gad are equally both very, very good. And because they were very, very good together, that makes the film “Marshall” very, very good as well.

3.50 Stars