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Customer Reviews of The Verdict

A Paean to Will Power
"The Verdict" opens in a bittersweet, comical way, in which Paul Newman's portrayal of the alcholic lawyer Frank Galvin sort of recalls Walter Matthau's "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich from Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie" (1966). We see Galvin sink beneath the gutter as he presses his business cards into the palms of grieving mourners. But, similarities end there: Given the most unlikely circumstance -- a malpractice suit -- Galvin sees the light at the end of the tunnel, redemption for the sorry mess he's made of his life. This movie unfolds like a revelation, but slowly, so that along with Galvin, we discover the small shred of remaining integrity within him that rises up and becomes courage: He turns down an insurance settlement to do battle against two renowned physicians, a corrupt Boston cardinal (played by the great character actor Edward Binns), a corrupt judge (Milo O'Shea) and the city's largest, slickest, law firm, whose legal team is headed by James Mason, in his final role as the suave and cynical Concanon. Galvin's transformation from self-professed ambulance chaser to a true man of the law fighting for nothing but justice is one of cinema's most inspiring performances, because Galvin *is* a weak man, set upon by demons from his failed past, and by fear of an uncertain future. Still, he trudges on, sinks his teeth in and never backs down, despite one unlucky turn after another: His star witness disappears, his hired "expert witness" has a second-rate medical background, and the judge strikes out almost every shred of evidence favourable to his case. Yet, through his conviction and sheer will power, Galvin convinces the jury of the malpractice commited against his client, a woman put in a coma by negligent doctors.

Watching Frank's transformation is simply awe-inspiring, because screenwriter David Mamet wrote it so subtly, and because it happens to Newman over the course of the movie. There's no "light bulb look" that comes over him all of the sudden; Rather, we can see the dim flicker slowly and gradually burn to a raging flame.

Director Sidney Lumet brilliantly captured the human drama of "The Verdict" by letting the actors and the dialogue carry the movie; It's far less cinematic than his earlier movies such as "Serpico" or "Twelve Angry Men." This really lets the viewer get into the characters: Not only do Newman and Mason shine, but Jack Warden (as his gruff mentor), Lindsey Crouse and Charlotte Rampling really help flesh out the movie and make it utterly believable through their conviction to character.

"The Verdict" ends properly: Laura Fischer(Rampling), who has seduced Frank and reluctantly betrayed him, telephones him to make amends. But Frank, stronger from the ordeal of his life, maintains his integrity, knowing who is on the other end of the line, never picks up. Now not only has his client won, but he's won back his soul. Straight cut to black, titles.

I was so taken by this movie, that I was certain that Newman and Mason won Oscars for their performances. I was wrong. In real life, justice does not always win the day.

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A Paean to Persistence
"The Verdict" opens in a bittersweet, comical way, in which Paul
Newman's portrayal of the alcholic lawyer Frank Galvin sort of recalls Walter Matthau's "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich from Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie" (1966). We see Galvin sink beneath the gutter as he presses his business cards into the palms of grieving mourners. But, similarities end there: Given the most unlikely circumstance -- a malpractice suit -- Galvin sees the light at the end of the tunnel, redemption for the sorry mess he's made of his life. This movie unfolds like a revelation, but slowly, so that along with Galvin, we discover the small shred of remaining integrity within him that rises up and becomes courage: He turns down an insurance settlement to do battle against two renowned physicians, a corrupt Boston cardinal (played by the great character actor Edward Binns), a corrupt judge (Milo O'Shea)
and the city's largest, slickest, law firm, whose legal team is headed by James Mason, in his final role as the suave and cynical Concanon. Galvin's transformation from self-professed ambulance chaser to a true man of the bar fighting for nothing but justice is one of cinema's most inspiring performances, because Galvin *is* a weak man, set upon by demons from his failed past, and by fear of an uncertain future. Still, he trudges on, sinks his teeth in and never backs down, despite one unlucky turn after another: His star witness disappears, his hired "expert witness" has a second-rate medical background, and the judge strikes out almost every shred of evidence favourable to his case. Yet, through his conviction and sheer will power, Galvin convinces the jury of the malpractice commited against his client, a woman put in a coma by
negligent doctors.

Watching Frank's transformation is simply awe-inspiring, because
screenwriter David Mamet wrote it so subtly, and because it happens to Newman over the course of the movie. There's no "light bulb look" that comes over him all of the sudden; Rather, we can see the dim flicker slowly and gradually burn to a raging flame.

Director Sidney Lumet brilliantly captured the human drama of "The
Verdict" by letting the actors and the dialogue carry the movie; It's far less cinematic than his earlier movies such as "Serpico" or "Twelve Angry Men." This really lets the viewer get into the characters: Not only do Newman and Mason shine, but Jack Warden (as his gruff mentor), Lindsey Crouse and Charlotte Rampling really help flesh out the movie and make it utterly believable through their conviction to character.

"The Verdict" ends properly: Laura Fischer(Rampling), who has seduced Frank and reluctantly betrayed him, telephones him to make amends. But Frank, stronger from the ordeal of his life, maintains his integrity, knowing who is on the other end of the line, never picks up. Now not only has his client won, but he's won back his soul. Straight cut to black, titles.

I was so taken by this movie, that I was certain that Newman and Mason won Oscars for their performances. I was wrong. In real life, justice does not always win the day.

---

A grand film of triumph over failure
This film is one of the best in Paul Newman's stellar career, and he carries it convincingly with a spare, taut, no-frills performance. His Frank Galvin, an alcoholic has-been attorney with a bleak future is a defeated and pathetic figure, reduced to appearing at funeral homes during visitation hours to hustle business from bereaved family members. Even when long-time friend Mickey Morrissey [Jack Warden] hands Galvin a lucrative case on a silver platter, his star witness disappears to an unknown Caribbean island after having promised to testify against the hospital and Catholic Church for malpractice. Galvin's determination to see the case through is the first step to his recovery from the bottle and self-pity. The comatose woman's sister and brother-in-law who he represents in court have lost confidence in Galvin, he seems overmatched by the glib and polished Ed Concannon [James Mason] who represents the interests of the Church, and he has incurred the wrath of a biased, mean-spirited judge [Milo O'Shea]. To make matters worse, his girlfriend Laura [Charlotte Rampling] is little more than a Trojan horse in the Galvan camp and her true intentions come to light only after Mickey stumbles on the truth quite by chance. The movie was filmed under Boston's gray, overcast skies and has a gloomy forecast for Galvin in his quest for redemption and reward for a man who has been defeated by life but makes one last attempt to get off the deck and regain his self-respect and stature in his profession.