Actors are supposed to draw upon their own experiences while pretending to be someone else on stage or on screen.  This reinforces a script’s sincerity and verisimilitude, if the performer can plumb the depths of his or her own past to forge a kinship with a character without losing oneself in one’s own memories while doing so.  It seems as if Robert Downey Jr., who also produced The Judge, has found a way to reveal some of his own bruised past in the character of Henry (Hank) Palmer, a flamboyant Chicago trial attorney who defends his estranged father (Robert Duvall, the Judge of the title) of a murder charge.

The Judge is a sharply-drawn movie about a messed-up character and the messy lives and relationships of his family and friends.  David Dobkin’s film allows Downey to stretch the limits of his likability and his talent, creating a character whose flaws are every bit as important as his strengths.  And Downey is not the only one; Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard, Billy Bob Thornton and, yes, Robert Duvall, are all afforded meaty character roles and they all deliver very strong performances.

The script by Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque, based on a story by Schenk and Dobson, encompasses a lot of ground, but it is very specific and incredibly detailed where it is most needed.  The dialogue is great and the humor is rich.  The drama is organic, blossoming from the dysfunctional family dynamic, with a tension that lurks beneath every scene.  It is harrowingly realistic at times and features at least one realism that I’ve never before witnessed in an American film.  The emotional landscape it covers is enormous, yet it rarely seems forced or artificial.  It is a wonderful study of character and human nature as well as a compelling legal thriller.  Even at 141 minutes it leaves a few loose ends, because life is like that; not all messes can be cleaned up.  The film, gorgeously shot by Janusz Kaminski, rings true nearly all the way through, and should not be missed by serious film fans, nor by anyone who enjoys the work of its stars.  ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2.  30 October 2014.