Review of The Verdict (1982) by Glenn C — 24 Apr 2012
A lot of critics consider The Verdict to be one of the great legal films of all time... geeze, they can't have seen many. I watched it this evening, hoping that my perception of it last time was off.
.. nup, I still found it underwhelming. It stars Paul Newman as a down on his luck lawyer who lands a medical malpractice case against a catholic hospital. Where he would ordinarily settle the case, take the money and run he has a moment of clarity and rejects the offer, opting to take the case to trial.
He has little in his favour and works against the odds to fight for justice. It's pretty contrived stuff really and the film's saving grace is the performances. All players are really solid. It's a shame that it's a boring case with scarcely any excitement.
While I prefer courtroom films to be believable, I still need a certain element of thrill to keep me invested in the story. I just didn't care for this case at all. In fact each time I have watched The Verdict I find myself distracted by the trivial crap going on around it.
.. like, how many times people butt their cigarettes out on the floor without picking them up and trying to spot Bruce Willis and Tobin Bell at the back of the courtroom. One of the best legal films of all time? Hell no! That place is reserved for films like To Kill A Mocking Bird, Presumed Innocent, The Rainmaker, A Time To Kill, Amistad.
.. etc... hell even LA Law trumps this.
This review of The Verdict (1982) was written by Glenn C on 24 Apr 2012.
The Verdict has generally received very positive reviews.
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