Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Dax Shepard, Jeremy Strong, Leighton Meester, Ken Howard, David Krumholtz, Balthazar Getty, Denis O’Hare, and Sarah Lancaster.

Directed By David Dobkin

I imagine there are several critics who have called this film sappy and pandering. I don’t have a problem with all films that would be labeled “sappy” and “pandering”, as long as they’re good. I didn’t find this film sappy, I thought it was good. It was emotional when it needed to be, and just a good legal drama when it wasn’t.

Robert Downey Jr gives a solid performance, which is a nice contrast to his Tony Stark role. Downey Jr is one of the best actors in the game, and even though The Judge is a little softer and less showy than other “Oscar Bait” films, he really controls a solid performance. Robert Duvall is more showy, and more likely to be remembered come Oscar time. In fact, if anyone gets nominated out of this film, it’ll be Duvall, who plays the aging judge slowly losing bits of himself with the kind of gravitas expected of an actor who has been around as long as he has.

The strong supporting cast just strengthens the film even more. D’Onofrio and Thornton stand out. Definitely one of the best films of the year.

FINAL GRADE: A