The Washington Brief.
122 Mins. Starring: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Sedale Threatt Jr. & Carmen Ejogo. Director: Dan Gilroy.
Denzel H. Washington Jnr...Esquire? A title, not like the one of the mens lifestyle magazine he's cover graced more than on occasion, but one of English law dignity. One next above gentleman and below knight. Surely the multiple Academy Award nominated actor of 'Training Day', 'Glory' deserves this honour. Even if the star of 'The Pelican Brief' and Tom Hanks' attorney in 'Philadelphia' going to 'Post' battle with him this Oscar month doesn't actually practice law?! But in 'Roman J. Israel, Esq' he plays one with a cinder briefcase to the letter and accreditation for his back-to-back 'Best Actor' nomination category for this year, following his amazing adaptation directing the classic 'Fences' play he and Viola Davis won Tony's for before Oscar came calling. And now lawyering up with 'Nightcrawler' director Dan Gilroy in the downtown L.A., city of fallen angels he shows the dark underbelly under that last season of the 80's plaid suit in the Los Angeles crime community. Just like Gilroy did with a scrawn thinning Gyllenhaal until his skin crawled with the purity thirsty, dark debauched city of stars we could no longer see, even from the Gosling and Stone Griffith Observatory Hollywood hills. There's justice in this city, but it's not by a legal requirement that's anything but brief. It's one straight from the streets and you know when matters like that are taken into their own hands spread across the pavement then there can never really be peace. And as our behind the scenes player, Roman J. loses his civil rights mentor he must act for the forgotten and downtrodden before they lose their basic ones and this man with heart does his own seventies soul.
Holy like his Israel last name, Roman J. sporting a Dr. J, ABA afro is the right kind of seventies styling, Philadelphia soul that makes Denzel's character a force and forthright enough to take the bar he's passed and march it all the way up to the steps of Washington. Urkel bifocals, Richard Ayoade in 30 years time looking and some padding in his three-piece that fellow Best Actor nominated leading man and favourite to take home the gong, Gary Oldman probably lent him after playing the two fingers and cigar of Churchill in 'The Darkest Hour' make him look distinct, but his definition shows us he's no laughing matter joke as his defence never rests. No matter how many feminist sisters try and humiliate him in dashiki dress at a would be inspirational speech that turns into a defamation of his character once he asks the "brothers sitting" to do the gentlemanly thing and offer up their seats to the ladies in the audience. The world doesn't work like that anymore and they have a point when they claim it's offensive. But sharply only as much as he has one when he says, "and polite". Armed to the buck teeth with some old walkman headphone buds, a soon to be as old as they iPod age libary of songs, a legal "brief" in a case just as cumbersome they are bound together by the most taught, at breaking point elastic bands that he may aswell be carrying the whole constitution and an Erving afro comb. This throwback is more than a cool cat. He's the cream that's going to help you rise to the crop and show that an old dog can still chase some new tricks and bring the retro to the modern like this oh so soulful scoring soundtrack that takes the now televised revolution of Gil-Scott Heron to the Childish Gambino of Lando to be 'Solo' artist Danny Glover. The real deal, genuine article, so sincere a single tear could open your floodgates. Thoroughly good like 'Black Panther' Chadwick Boseman's historic Thurgood 'Marshall' law biopic. A sleeper for this years Oscar season that will go amongst his forgotten best not because of the actual quality, but the sheer quantity of it all, Washington may not win the 'Best Actor' again this year but you know the man with nine accredited acclaims is more than worthy of another nomination.
Legal precedents don't just end in recess with Denzel's dynamite character going by the book, but still reading individuals rights as much as the law set in cut stone however. One of todays greatest yet amazingly still so underrated leading men, Colin Farrell is formidable in a supporting actor role. Even if at times you want to hold his oil slick, chained to the bottom of the sea feeding lawyer in contempt. He doesn't just seek Washington's counsel, he looks for ways to control him. No matter how much Roman J. Israel Esq. handles it like the pro he's been for more veteran years. Colin, who was so good recently bearded in his 'Lobster' biblical reunion of 'The Killing Of A Sacred Deer' and as a moustache maverick cop as the best thing about the slumping, second sophomore season of 'True Detective' is all cleaned up here, but you can still see the dirt. Even if his BMW with German engineering, 'Tron' like futuristic controls that an old testment guy like Israel has never laid his eyes on before looks like it was drove right off the lot. Like his gold watch has just tick tocked right out the shop. Or his pristine to the pin stripes suit has just had the tailors measuring tape whipped right off its belt. Driving round downtown, with Washington's Israel riding blunderbuss the old school and new age lawyers are perfect parallels of each other, but once they crossover in perfect time at a Lakers game they will practice and preach so much from each other that we all learn what it means to be human and flawed, especially in this age and game with a legal aid. Speaking of Los Angeles Lakers, son of a former swingman Sedale Threatt Jr. lays down more of his family ties after the tree he planted with his growth in the 'Roots' mini-series revival. Fighting the good pro bono fight with standout Carmen Ejogo who gives this engrossing film it's moral centre. The actress who started off her career alongside Eddie Murphy in 'Metro' is really on a by the script tear following her 'Alien: Covenant' and 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise. The leading lady who played Coretta Scott King in the Oscar worthy 'Selma' was always meant for more. And this is it in Gilroy's crime crawling halfway house between a drama and a thriller that still has enough heart and humour to take us past the lack of focus that comes with being weighed down with those legal requirements and the sentence you can see coming. 'Roman J. Israel, Esq' makes his mark like a true story, leaving an impression you should take like his card even if you should only call the number above and not the one crossed out below. After all it shouldn't be held against him in a court of law. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Fences', 'Flight', 'Philadelphia'.
No comments:
Post a Comment