Robert Downey Jr. chews up a role that’s customized for his overblown, confident style. He plays a big-city lawyer who returns to his small hometown and the very strained relationship with his father (Robert Duvall), a judge in more ways than one. When the judge is accused of murder, his son swoops to his defense. While much of Downey’s grandstanding is enjoyable and Duvall’s performance is exceptional, this screenplay is chocked full of cliches and an overabundance of mean-spirited interactions. There is a relatively solid court case at the center, but the excessive length and obvious attempts to create a compelling drama weigh on the final verdict.

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