This is the ultimate “they don’t make 'em like they used to” film. The movie was made by adults, for adults. It is a mature, confident film. It is cinematic and stylish without being flashy. It understands the cinematic language. It is invested in the “show don’t tell” model of filmmaking. Let me give you an example:One character has to give another character some bad news. Instead of repeating information the audience already knows in a clunky scene of exposition, Lumet instead shows them walking down a sidewalk. The camera is placed across the street, and up maybe 15 stories. The image is zoomed in to blur up the image, but also adds an intensity to the shot. We only hear the sounds of a bustling city street. The cars, trains, and the hum of hordes of people. We aren’t privileged to the conversation our characters are having, but we don’t need to be. We know what the jist of the message is. We are however privileged to a voyeuristic viewpoint of the actors (Paul Newman and Jack Warden) physical performance, which tells us everything that we need to know about how the message is impacting both characters. It is truly brilliant. The story is about a disenfranchised lawyer, Paul Newman, that hits the bottle harder than he hits the cases. He has resided himself to passing out business cards during funerals he finds in the obits. His friend and mentor, Jack Warden, feels sorry for him and throws him a bone. It is an open-and-shut case of medical malpractice. Everyone involved is expecting to settle out of court. That is until Newman gets an unsettling feeling in his gut. His humanity bubbles to the surface and he cannot let this crime go unpunished. He decides to take the case to trail, even though the family of the victim just wanted the cash settlement. He truly believes he can win the case, but he is up against a cut-throat, team of ruthless and resourceful lawyers. These defense attorneys will do anything in their power, regardless of the limitations of the law, to ensure a victory for their clients. The film is a smart courtroom drama in the vein of WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. It is equally well crafted and skillfully assembled. Like WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, the film does not rely on magnificent visuals alone. It is the performances that really anchor the film, and provide a context for which the visual can flush out. Newman is particularly great. Even in his career, which is brimming with some of the greatest performances of mid-century American film, this is a standout. Charlotte Rampling’s character is a bit thinly drawn, but she makes the most of it. James Mason steals every scene he is in as the head of the defense. He really is the Charles Laughton of this film.This movie almost made me cry from my longing. Please, make more films for grown-ups. We have money. We will go see them.
