Roman J. Israel, Esq | Denzel Washington is a law unto himself

Roman J Israel Esq Denzel Washington

All rise.

Denzel Washington was Oscar-nominated for his role here as a socially awkward defence attorney, but he’s much better than the film, writer-director Dan Gilroy’s disappointing follow-up to his gripping 2014 debut movie Nightcrawler. An uneven mix of legal thriller and character drama, Roman J. Israel, Esq finds Washington’s idealistic back-room lawyer struggling to adapt to a more public role after his partner goes into a coma. With roles for Colin Farrell’s slick legal hotshot and Carmen Ejogo’s civil-rights activist, the plot gets rather contrived. But Washington, sporting a shaggy Afro, baggy suit and shambling walk, is never less than compelling.

Certificate 12. Runtime 122 mins. Director Dan Gilroy

Roman J. Israel, Esq available on Digital, and on DVD from 11 June.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdfFVe40Xto

Jason Best

A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.