For this article, I would like to thank the famous actor Denzel Washington for his outstanding performance in "Roman J. Israel, Esq."!
American movie "Roman J. Israel, Esq." (Hello, Mr. Roman)
Type of work: plot
Main actor: Denzel Washington (playing Roman)
Story summary: Telling about the joys and sorrows of the good lawyer Mr. Roman, who walks between reality and ideals
Release time: November 22, 2017
For a film, the director, screenwriter, and actors (three) all play a pivotal role.
The three are good -> the best masterpiece
All three are gone -> the bad film is undoubtedly
The three are uneven-mediocre
The work reviewed today belongs to the third situation. Due to the improper performance of the director and screenwriter, even if the actors are all over the scene (unsupported by a single tree), it is still difficult to turn the tide, and the final quality of the film is very ordinary. Next, combine the plot and analyze it in detail.
I, Dan Gilroy is out of standard
After many years of silence, Oscar-nominated screenwriter (and director) Gilroy once again returned to the public with new works. Like the top work "Nightcrawler" directed by him, "Hello, Mr. Roman" is also a story about "small people who drift away from the mainstream of society". Although the genres are quite similar, the fineness of the works is very different.
The former: dark films (humanity darkness, moral darkness); the whole work is tense and exciting, and it is dark to the end; the connotation is profound, exposing the ugly mentality of people, the desire for money and reputation, and the nature of people degenerate repeatedly until they lose the last Humanity (rationality + sensibility)
The latter: Moji film (long narrative, no highlights); the whole film is slow and tidy, so that the audience is not excited at all, it feels like drinking boiled water, bland and tasteless; the connotation is also dotted and left on the surface; Gilroy seems to be this time Relying too much on Denzel Washington's performance and ignoring the scrutiny of the story is not a wise choice
II, Denzel Washington's battle alone
Truthful, unpretentious, and deductive with heart, Denzel used his acting talent to completely live the image of Roman, a rigid, sophisticated and idealistic young lawyer. for example:
① "Serious face and righteous words" at the court hearing
②"Care and funny" when explaining "Esq." to customers
③"Seriously and carefully" when listening to customers' demands
④ "Extraordinarily happy" when earning a ransom
⑤ Perceive "self-blame and frustration" when one's inner heart is degenerate
...
From "fine manners" to "large lines", from "an expression" to "a series of actions", Denzel perfectly interprets what is meant by "an actor's self-cultivation" in the film.
III, the message conveyed by the film
1. Referentiality of the role
Roman: Idealist. To stay away from the world (ignoring the worldliness in real life), live a simple and boring life. An ipod, a pair of earphones, an old-fashioned suit, a huge briefcase... the clothes that never change, the idea that never changes (not with the rich, alone, behind the scenes).
George: Realist. Although he was born as a lawyer as well as Roman, George knows how to weigh the relationship between money and the system. He knows the importance of money and his role as a lawyer. To put it bluntly, he is a savvy businessman eating a "lawyer's meal." .
2. The turning point of the story
The whole film can be divided into three parts according to Roman's psychological changes.
①Before getting the bounty
Persist in the true nature of oneself, stay simple and cynical. However, due to the unexpected illness of his partner (finally passed away), Roman could only abandon the previous mode of living, start contacting society again, start building relationships between people, and start examining himself again.
②After getting the bounty (before returning to the self)
Due to the embarrassment of life, Roman reluctantly lowered himself, put down the professional ethics that was once highly valued, bent his waist for "five buckets of rice", revealed extremely secret important news to the bounty, and obtained a huge bounty. From that moment on , Roman's world has changed. The former innocent, staid, and inaccessible "weird" is gradually moving away, and now approaching us is the energetic, smiling, and chatty "New Roman".
③After getting the bounty (after returning to the self)
After some struggle, Roman once again returned to the original state. His beliefs, his ideals, and his responsibilities returned to the starting position again, so he sent back the bounty (and the three sets of bounty bought Clothes and a pair of shoes), I recorded my petition letter on the computer (the paragraph at the beginning of the film, similar to an inner monologue)...
To put it aside, this transition was rather blunt (the explanation of the causes and consequences was not smooth), and the setting of the scene where Roman was killed in the end was also deliberate and unnatural.
3. The metaphor of objects
①Old-fashioned suit, representing Roman's old-fashioned and old-fashioned
②With a headset for a long time, it represents Roman voluntarily breaking with the world (real life)
③The bulldog woodcarving represents Roman's character-justice, calmness and perseverance
4. Realistic thinking
① Outlook on life
Is it to stick to your own life rules?
Or follow the trend of the times?
②Values
Is it on the thorny road of idealism?
Or return to the broad road of realism?
③ Belief
Are you obsessed with being alone, enjoying the free state of "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, and leisurely seeing Nanshan"?
Or is it chasing fame and fortune, traveling in material life, and savoring the luxury and carnival of the secular world?
A few pens have recorded the author's impressions of this film. End here today, see you tomorrow.
Director ★★☆☆☆ (self-written and self-directed, unfortunately there are flaws in the plot)
Actor ★★★★★ (Oscar best actor favorable contender)
Plot ★★★☆☆ (Slow progress, hold on to see the end)
Visual effects ★★★☆☆ (The tone is soft, but it is slightly rough as an Olympic movie)
Sound effects★★★☆☆ (The ending song is very sensational, and the overall soundtrack is of average color)
Recommendation ★★★☆☆ (mainly watching Denzel Washington, I feel that this work is tailor-made for him. As for the content of the work, it is extremely general)
More film reviews + recommendations are first published on the WeChat public account " The Journey Collection of floyd and helen ", thank you
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