Featured, Home, Movie Reviews

Movie Review: “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” Is A Flawed But Engaging Excursion Through The Criminal Justice System

[yasr_overall_rating]
 

Denzel Washington stars as Roman Israel, a driven, idealistic defense attorney who, through a tumultuous series of events, finds himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action.

I will preface this review by saying that I’m a sucker for lawyer films – my favorite of all time being “The Paper Chase” with Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner, and the inestimable John Houseman. Then there’s “Presumed Innocent,” “The Rainmaker,” “The Client,” “Night Falls on Manhattan,” “Michael Clayton,” and on and on. So I may be overly generous in praise with the critique that follows. Nonetheless, I think that few will be disappointed by the ambitious nature of “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” with Denzel Washington in the title role.

It is interesting that most of the early reviews of this film seem to have focused on the idiosyncratic acting of Washington. For example, each time Roman introduces himself (which is often) it is always with his full name – esquire included. And make no mistake – Washington delivers a tour de force performance worthy of comparison to his finest work. Still, it would be a shame if the performance overshadowed the much larger message that was clearly intended by the filmmaker.

Roman is a savant and appears to suffer from borderline Asperger Syndrome, which is to say he is scary smart but has a real tendency to put his foot in his mouth. He is a man on a mission to reform a justice system that has become a kind of paint-by-numbers meat grinder to the poor and unwitting. Roman makes many choices – some good, some bad, but invariably interesting.

Collin Farrell is excellent as George Pierce, who is the CEO of a thriving and opportunistic legal firm. As the protagonist, we would certainly expect Roman J. Israel to undergo a transformation – and he does – but so does Pierce, and in a satisfying manner. Carmen Ejogo also plays a key role as a charmingly endearing civil rights advocate and awkward love interest of Roman.

Written and directed by Dan Gilroy (“Nightcrawler”) the film clearly intends to put on display many of the dysfunctions of the U.S. judicial system – not least of which are pompous prosecutors more interested in furthering their careers than delivering any real sense of justice. On more than one occasion, highly indifferent prosecuting attorneys invoke the name of “the people” in their own personal pronouncements about sentencing for plea deals.

Therein lies the rub. The rigid sentencing guidelines, harsh plea deals and – worst of all – the depressing willingness of defense lawyers to go along (at their client’s expense) stand at the fore of the film. In the course of the movie, Roman points out that very few defendants’ criminal cases ever go before a jury, apparently because of either the expense or the uncertain outcome.

Just a few facts and figures. As of the 2010 census, blacks made up 13% of the overall population in the U.S., but a whopping 40% of the incarcerated population. This compares with whites who made up 64% of the population and account for only 39% of those in prison. The U.S. leads the world in terms of percentage of the population behind bars (737 of every 100,000 persons). Only Russia comes anywhere near a close second (615 per 100,000). For blacks, the ratio is 2,207 per 100,000. These underlying themes drive the film, but perhaps, unfortunately, the message may be lost on audiences because of the fascinating quirks and quips that Washington so ably delivers in his superb portrayal as Roman.

For the thoughtful viewer, this film should evoke some pertinent questions. Does the U.S. really have that many more criminals than nearly every other country on the planet? Is it that we are obsessed with controlling large segments of society outside the mainstream? To what extent does growing inequality drive the behavior that lands such a large percentage of minorities in prison?

“Roman J. Israel, Esq.” is somewhat uneven, particularly in a couple of segments midway through the film, when it is not always clear what is motivating the title character. However, in fairness, the pieces do seem to come together in the end. All-in-all, a worthwhile journey through the criminal justice system buoyed by a set of fine performances from a first-rate cast.

In theaters Wednesday, November 22nd

 

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Thomas Tunstall

Thomas Tunstall, Ph.D. is the senior research director at the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is the principal investigator for numerous economic and community development studies and has published extensively. Dr. Tunstall recently completed a novel entitled "The Entropy Model" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982920610/?coliid=I1WZ7N8N3CO77R&colid=3VCPCHTITCQDJ&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it). He holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy, and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas, as well as a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.