Director Dan Gilroy who wrote and
directed the intriguing and compelling 2014 “Nightcrawler” starring Jake Gyllenhaal,
works with another A list Actor in the way of two time Academy Award Winner
Denzel Washington in the legal drama “Roman J. Israel, ESQ”.
Taking place in Los Angeles, the
story surrounds just three characters in the way of Denzel Washington as a lawyer
named Roman Israel, along with Colin Farrell as his boss George Pierce and
Carmen Ejogo a civil Rights activist as Romans’ female friend aka love interest
named Maya. Roman is legally brilliant; a savant of sorts when it come to the
law uniquely able to recite details of old cases by simply hearing the case
number under which it was filed. His problem is he is a bit socially awkward
and to a degree emotionally dysfunctional when interacting with other people.
But he has a good heart with even better intentions of always wanting to help
the indigent, the working class poor and overall to use his legal training to
make the law be a mechanism for good in the way of social justice for those
less fortunate.
Early in the film Roman discovers
his small legal firm that he has been employed with for many years is closing
doors for financial reasons and that he is being laid off. Emotionally lost and
financially desperate to find work he reluctantly takes a job with a huge law
firm run by George Pierce (Colin Farrell), a slick lawyer who was friends with
Roman’s old boss who died suddenly now offering Roman better pay at his big time glitzy firm downtown.
The transition doesn’t go well
as Roman antiquated manner and ideas of doing things have left him stuck in a time warp of sorts when it comes to interacting with
new high profile clients as he did at his old firm leading to real tension with
his new legal colleagues as well exposing his new firm to potential laws suits. But in the
process of getting a second chance with his boss George blessings, Roman gets his act together but on a rare impulse which is contrary to his nature Roman makes another decision
that leads to a series of turbulent events that will put his new client
as well as his new firm in a dangerous perilously situation.
REVIEW: As
far as acting goes this is one Denzel’s best performances ever. You find
yourself hanging on every uttered word as we watch and listen to his imaginative interpretation
of this odd duck of aka Professor Cornel West looking man named Roman, who is part
brilliant lawyer, part savant Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman’s “Rain Man”)
part Forest Gump and part Karl Childers (Sling Blade). He creates real intrigue
and dramatic weight to his Roman that while at times (and there were many)
you found Roman’s conversations and actions totally perplexing, you still found
yourself fixated on just how commanding Denzel owns the screen in every
frame.
Another positive is how the interplay
chemistry between Roman and George is totally electric in the scenes they are
together. But with all of Denzel’s acting prowess and Colin Farrell’s equally
fine performance, the film gets totally loss and bogged down in the 2:09
minute running time from its endless choppy direction with an equally choppy, puzzling and meandering plot
that seems never to elevate any aspect of the film into something meaningful or consequential to justify spending your time watching this overly wordy film.
By the time the movie comes to an odd dramatic ending, you really don’t care
at all about Roman's fate; …………and you should have and you won't - not even a little.
2.25 Stars
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