Roman J. Israel, Esq. – Stunning Performance by Denzel Washington
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as Roman Israel, a driven, idealistic defense attorney who, through a tumultuous series of events, finds himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action. Colin Farrell costars as the monied, cutthroat lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm. KIDS FIRST! Juror, Juanita L. comments, “I love Denzel Washington as an actor, director and man. Denzel once again shows his excellent acting skills portraying a civil rights attorney who has worked behind the scenes for more than three decades.” See her full review below.
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Reviewed by Juanita Seon Leary, KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror
As Roman J. Israel, Esq., Denzel Washington is outstanding. His law partner, William Henry Jackson had more of a stomach for the grinding inequality of the justice system and served as the face of the firm, while Roman kept to himself.
Jackson becomes ill and eventually dies. His family follows his wishes and, to dissolve the firm, brings in a slick, well-dressed, high-price attorney George (Colin Farrell) to do the job. George is an interesting character and Farrell is plays the part well. First I thought George was the antagonist – a soulless, greedy lawyer who only cared about his retainer. However, George sees something in Roman and offers him a job at his large law practice. Roman resists at first, but money troubles make him reconsider.
Roman is brilliant and quite possibly has Aspergers syndrome (it is not entirely clear about this.) He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law, but isn’t so good at interacting with other people. He also seems to be trapped in the 70s, unaware of how his familiarity of the culture has changed. We see many examples of his inability to interact with people. In one courtroom scene he disagrees with the plea options for a young offender and he voices his displeasure. The judge declares him in contempt and fines him.
One of my favorite scenes is when Roman shows up at a non-profit agency that fights for legal rights of the underprivileged as he offers his services to Maya (Carmen Ejogo). She is inspired and moved by his commitment and informs him that everyone volunteers. They develop a friendship and Roman appears as a guest speaker. It becomes clear to Roman that the justice system and the people have changed. And, it ignites his passion to make a change.
The message of this film is about one man’s ferocious commitment to a greater good, to lost causes and to connecting to what he believed in at the beginning. A fighter for those who cannot fight for themselves, he is unique, a lawyer who believes in the law and his clients.
The film contains violence, strong language, drinking, drug use and sexuality. This could be an interesting film for mature teens interested in legal drama. I recommend this film for ages 16 to 18 as well as adults. I give it 5 out of 5 stars! Roman Israel, Esq. opens in theaters November 22, 2017. Go see it and find out more about this unique lawyer.
