Written by: David Mamet
Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O’Shea
Rating: [4/5]
No matter what it takes, the job of a lawyer constitutes doing what will work best for their client. Whether it lies in taking a guilty plea or taking it all the way to trial presenting the best argument on their behalf. In The Verdict we get into the nitty-gritty of the role of a lawyer, especially one in a precarious stage of his career. Shepherded by a tremendous lead performance by its legendary actor, this film takes the cake and sits highly on the bar of legal dramas.
Down on his luck and battling with alcoholism, attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) has not won a case in a while. When handed a softball case by a former partner where all parties would prefer to settle the case out of court, Galvin makes the decision to take the case to trial because he believes the settlement does not do justice to the crime committed, much to the surprise of everyone involved.
Justice within our legal system goes through two different avenues depending on the crime committed, either the criminal or civil court process. In the criminal, we get the basic understanding of guilty and not guilty but when observing the civil court system, it focuses on an exchange of money and whether it suffices both parties before a judge and jury get involved. Galvin stepped into a situation where pretty much everyone wanted to settle out of court, what the Catholic hospital would suffice for the siblings of the plaintiff who sits in a comatose state, but Galvin wants something more. He wants to get more for his client, but personally, he wants to prove he can succeed at his job again. Certainly, from the outside, it gives the appearance of a selfish act but the man believes he’s doing something right, and the rest of Newman’s performance as Galvin seeks to prove just that to the audience.
As we progress through this narrative, it becomes evident the individuals Galvin goes up against mean business as they’re backed by the Catholic Church. That means this hospital has some serious juice and Galvin wants to take this to trial means he needs to get ready for a dirty battle and we get just that. From different forms of bribery even implicating the judge of this trial has some involvement, Galvin works behind the 8-ball in this feature, and in his state of mind, it surely does not help.
Where we find him at the beginning of this film demonstrates a man who has figuratively hit rock bottom. That usually occurs when a lawyer faces accusations of operating as an ambulance chaser, signifying no client will seek the man out for his services and he needs to go out fishing from the most vulnerable to make a living. Going from this state of mind to what he needs to take on in this trial truly puts him to the test. This film provides many nervous moments for Galvin and the man, through all of the issues he embattles, demonstrates his ability to serve as a good lawyer, which matters to him the most even if he states he wants to do this for his client.
When a film has Paul Newman as a leading man, they know they’re getting work done by a legend and the man gives off one of the most important performances of his career. While never using his charm as a crutch, one cannot help but be dazzled by Newman’s charisma as he brings to each of his roles, but in this feature, he must portray a man who has lost what made him tick and deliver something much more gritty as a result. He stands in and delivers these impassioned speeches like a pro and manages to harness the inner turmoil of a man with nothing left to lose and trying to prove something to himself. Truly a standout performance of his but he certainly receives some help from his director, Sidney Lumet.
Forever an American filmmaking legend, Lumet has always maintained a keen interest in the American justice system but of the films I’ve seen of his thus far, they typically lie in the criminal side when you think of 12 Angry Men or even the irreverent Find Me Guilty. With The Verdict he sets his sights on this civil case and dives deep into this character to tell his story. The way Lumet frames shots in the courtroom and Galvin’s office sets the stage for what we feel in those moments as audience members but also how Galvin feels as he goes through various stages of emotion where this case feels lost or when he gains confidence.
Gritty to its core but quite an inspiring tale of rising from the ashes in battling self-doubt and addiction, The Verdict more than delivers the goods. It serves as a riveting legal drama with an ever-captivating central character whose journey entertains just as much as the case at the center of the story. Never dull and moving at a great pace, this film demonstrates the great Sidney Lumet working at a great level in conjunction with the great Paul Newman at the helm delivering career-defining work.
Films with Josh 
