Movie Review—Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O'Connell                       

Roman J. Israel, Esq. Released: Nov. 2017. Runtime: 122 mins. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language and some violence.

Roman J. Israel, Esq., may not be that unusual a name for an attorney, but it is a rather unusual one for an African-American attorney in Los Angeles. But then Roman, as played by Denzel Washington in writer/director Dan Gilroy's Roman J. Israel, Esq., is an unusual man. 

For decades Roman has been the backroom brains of a two-partner law firm. Certainly dorky, possibly autistic, he confesses: “Public speaking is usually something I'm encouraged to avoid.” And: “My lack of success is self-imposed.” Roman's dated suits are ill fitting; his glasses are unfashionable; he subsists on peanit butter sandwiches in a small apartment in a working-class neighborhood; and, in perhaps his most out-of-it trait, he walks everywhere—in L.A.! But Roman is still consumed by a passion for social justice acquired in his youth, and he spends much of his own time working on a massive brief that he hopes will change the criminal justice system. 

When his partner dies, Roman takes a job with a big firm headed by George Pierce (Colin Farrell), a flashy attorney who tempts Roman to adopt a trendy new lifestyle. Roman, who says that he has become “tired of doing the impossible for the ungrateful,” starts to fall under George's spell. But Roman is also attracted by Maya Alston (Carmen Ejogo), a community organizer who admires him for his commitment to social justice over the years. For Roman, Maya becomes the opposite pole of attraction to George's pull. Roman's idealism falters, however, as he rises in wealth and esteem while engaging in unethical behavior in a criminal matter fraught with danger. 

Washington's performance as a deeply idiosyncratic man is impressive, and Farrell is cleverly understated in the way that he projects George's flashiness. Unfortunately, the film around these characters is rather unfocused and mixes satire, social concerns, romance, and thriller elements in a way that doesn't really cohere. The general effect is sort of similar to that of Roman's sartorial tastes.