Roman J. Israel, Esq.

              Denzel Washington outdoes himself in this new drama from  writer/director, Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler"). Mr. Gilroy has created a unique and memorable character and Mr. Washington disappears into the role which is unlike anything he has ever done. 

              Mr. Washington enjoys good dialog. He chewed up the scenery with verbal gymnastics in last year's "Fences". With Mr. Gilroy's intelligent and surprising script, he once again gets to show off his verbal skills but this time, the words come out honestly from the depths of the character and not Mr. Washington himself. Mr. Israel, Esq. is a lawyer, who as the film opens, is the man "behind the curtain" of a two man law firm, preferring to do the background work while his partner appears in court. Circumstances force him down a different path which is the central plot of the film.

               Colin Farrell co-stars as the head of another firm and while the film is about lawyers, it is not about "the big case" but rather about the characters themselves, their ethics and belief system that drive them through the legal system and the choices they make navigating that complex world.

               The film is continuously surprising and there are so many quotable lines, I wish had had brought a pad and pen to keep track. The less said about the plot, the better. It's a terrific film and Mr. Washington will surely garner another Oscar nomination.