5/10 When you watched the trailer for this movie did it come across as pretty plain, generic or bland? It did to me when I watched it and now I can say that the movie is just like the trailer. While in no way bad, this movie is just so generic and forgettable that it is really a shame that Denzel Washington’s stellar performance will be forgotten or not seen at all (judging by how this movie is doing at the box office). What makes it even more disappointing is that this is Dan Gilroy’s follow up to what I thought was tied for the best film of 2014, “Nightcrawler.” So to have him come off with such an amazing directorial debut and follow it up with this just saddens me. You can tell to his credit though that since he also wrote the film that he did an extremely good job of researching his subject material. All of the lawyer jargon and talk feels very real and authentic and the characters are all natural. They even get developed well. The story is just pretty forgettable and Denzel’s character is a slightly odd one to make the protagonist. He isn’t interesting enough to want to spent two hours with. There are only a couple moments where you feel real emotion for a character or what is happening and the rest of the movie you just sit there waiting for something interesting or impactful to happen. The production elements are all fine but the score was forgettable and the cinematography nothing to write home about. I did like the costume design, especially for Denzel’s character which was unique. If you are a lawyer or involved with law at all, this film might appeal to you more but even if it does, it won’t excite you or thrill you. There are plenty of other lawyer/law movies that are way more interesting than this. I hope Dan Gilroy picks some more interesting subject matter for his next film because I know he is capable of way better than this. I give the film points for originality but this film is about as bland and forgettable as they come. A rental if you have nothing else to watch at best but don’t bother with it in theaters.
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