I enjoy courtroom dramas, but they're never among my favorites. Especially when they follow the formula so closely. David vs. Goliath, David is a folksy, flawed character with a small practice, Goliath is a team of smarmy attorneys, David fighting a losing battle, David pulls out a clever trick but it's combated by some piece of legalese (damn these lawyers and their sneaky practice of law!!), David's on the ropes, SUDDEN REVELATION, SURPRISE WITNESS, happy ending. They're usually more about being detectives (which is why I kinda like them) and having an impassioned closing argument than actually trying a case. This film deviates in small ways from the template, but it's mostly the standard routine. However, Newman is pretty good and the details are intriguing.
Review of The Verdict
