Review of Denial (2016) by Martin D G — 23 Oct 2016

Most people don't expect to walk out of a movie smarter than they walked in but seeing "Denial" not only entertains but teaches the audiences. Most Americans don't really know about the British court system but the main difference is that in America in libel cases the defendant is innocent until proven guilty while in England the defendant is guilty until they can prove their innocence.

Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) has written a just published book "Denying The Holocaust" portraying David Irving (Timothy Spall) as the holocaust denier he is and the latter claims she has ruined his career, cost him a loss of income and defamed him so sues her.

The "Denial" is based on a true story and the courtroom scenes are word for word from the actual trial records. Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson) defends her in court while Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott), who was Lady Diana's solicitor in her divorce, heads a team to prepare the case. Irving defends himself hoping to bring his denying the holocaust to more of the public and increasing his following while making his argument more valid. The outcome of the trial has a lot at stake on both sides and while some may go into the movie knowing the ending they will still get caught up in the trial.

It has been awhile since there has been a good trial movie and this fills that absence with both parties agreeing to the judge making the decision instead of the hearing being in front of a jury. His final decision is over a 300 page report and everyone in the audience where I was holding their breath and some even vocalizing at the decision.

From the opening scene, where Irving confronts Lipstadt, giving a lecture in a full hall, to the last scene in "Denial", the film holds your attention and the three leads Weisz, Wilkinson and Spall are standouts, especially the latter who as a despicable person may make you shake your head back and forth but will hold you interest. The supporting cast doesn't have a less than worthy player.

A film about the holocaust doesn't immediately bring laughter to mind but with Lipstadt, as a 'fish out of water', provides quite a few smiles and, in some cases outright laughter, as the differences in the ways of Americans and Brits, especially in the courtroom, come about naturally.

While I wasn't so emotionally involved as I thought I would be I was more intellectually involved than I usually am with a movie.

An aside: I have finally found someone who has written, and keeps, more diaries than I did/have and he makes my collection look like nothing.