Marshall is a great movie that delivers on an old-fashioned courtroom drama. Great story with really good acting from the leads. Great cast overall. So far I have loved every role I have seen Chadwick Boseman play, he is a great actor and has this sort of swagger when acting. Sterling K Brown is great and one of the greatest actors in recent years. It was different but enjoyable seeing Josh Gad in a drama. I wish they would make more of these movies that follow Thurgood Marshall's journey. The only negative thing is that it felt a bit long.
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Bryan_Rathbun519 February 2018
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ferguson-612 October 2017Greetings again from the darkness. The question must be asked: is the movie worthy of the man? The man was the first attorney for the NAACP. He won 29 of the 32 cases he argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, including the ground-breaking 1954 Brown v. Board of Education (separate but equal public education). This man was a trailblazer for Civil Rights, and in 1967 became the first African- American Supreme Court Justice. This man was, of course, Thurgood Marshall a man who unquestionably deserves not just a movie, but a really good and important one.
Chadwick Boseman has taken on film versions of such icons as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in GET ON UP, so he likely jumped at the chance to play the revered figure, Thurgood Marshall. Mr. Boseman has true movie star screen presence, and supplies the young Mr. Marshall with a self-assured swagger that accompanies a brilliant legal mind – a mind that refused to be ignored during a time it was desperately needed. Lest he be labeled a superhero, the film does portray Marshall smoking and drinking, while also hinting at his carousing. The common flaws of a great man.
It's 1941 and the young (33 years old) Marshall is the lone NAACP attorney, so he spends his time ping-ponging around the country fighting for fair trials for those African-Americans accused simply because they aren't white. He works only for "innocent" people and his efforts during this time were crucial to the Civil Rights movement gaining attention and legitimacy. Most of the film centers on a case in Connecticut (no, not the Jim Crow south) where a black man, Joseph Spell (Sterling K Brown), is accused of sexual assault of a "respectable" married white woman, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). If you are reminded of the great book and film TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, you must know that those literary and cinematic standards are such that few can ever hope to reach.
What follows is not one of the more dramatic or tension-filled cinematic courtroom dramas. There is simply too much levity for the film to be classified as a historical heavyweight. That said, the man and his story are fascinating, and though director Reginald Hudlin chooses a deft touch rather than a sledge hammer, it's likely the wise choice if the goal is to entertain, while also educating the masses to Marshall's early career. Josh Gad co-stars as Marshall's co-counsel Sam Friedman, a specialist in legal technicalities within the insurance industry. Boseman and Gad have nice chemistry (at times it feels like a buddy movie), and as a Jew in those times, Friedman is himself stuck in limbo between staunch racism and acceptance by the white community.
James Cromwell plays Judge Foster, yet another man caught between the old world he has lived in his entire life and the fast-changing society and legal system that permits him to silence Marshall, while also forcing (somewhat) fair treatment of the accused Spell. Dan Stevens (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST) is Loren Willis, the disgusted and disgusting prosecutor. This character is so cartoonish that the only thing missing is a neon necklace that flashes "racist" as he speaks. Sophia Bush has a brief, yet important scene and Sterling K Brown (as Mr. Spell) has the film's most heart-breaking moment as he sits on the stand and explains why he lied.
Director Reginald Hudlin seems like an odd choice for the project. He has been working mostly in TV since back-to-back-to-back bombs BOOMERANG (Eddie Murphy), THE LADIES MAN (Tim Meadow) and SERVING SARA (Matthew Perry). Mr. Hudlin has experienced more success as a Producer, having been Oscar nominated for DJANGO UNCHAINED. Here he works with the father and son screenwriters Jacob Koskoff and Michael Koskoff. The elder Michael is a well respected criminal attorney and legal historian, and certainly understands the expectations that come with offering a public look at a near- mythical figure especially one as revered as Thurgood Marshall.
This isn't so much a movie about the icon as it is about a young man on the path to greatness and importance (he served on the Supreme Court from 1967-1991). The soundtrack is filled with jazz which complements the light-hearted approach, and further distances from any semblance of "heavy" or "historical". Director Hudlin adds a contemporary touch by having Trayvon Martin's parents (Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin) appear in a scene near the end. On the downside, multiple upshot camera angles are designed to make his lead character look larger than life. The truth is, Thurgood Marshall required no help in looming large. Hopefully this mainstream approach pays off and many are introduced to the legacy of a man who is more than worthy of this movie and another. -
KingKongKyle4 October 2017I got to attend an early screening of Marshall tonight. I'm interested to see how critics react. I have a feeling many of them will object to the "paint-by-numbers" approach to the film. While we have not seen Thurgood Marshall represented much in film, it does feel like we've seen this movie more than once before. But that isn't really the point. I've eaten spaghetti and meatballs hundreds of times before. I still enjoy it each time, the same dish, so long as it is made well. And Marshall, while not reinventing any wheels, is made well. Chadwick Boseman leads a terrific cast that includes Josh Gad, Dan Stevens, James Cromwell, Kate Hudson and Sterling K. Brown. Everyone is there to give this very important true story some depth and weight. At the same time, the screenplay never gets too caught up in its own self-importance. While some very dark themes and tragic events are present, there is a sense of humor pervading much of the film. This makes the people and events portrayed in Marshall relatable, instead of feeling like we're watching a group of untouchable, stoic historical figures. Marshall isn't designed to inspire anger or guilt, instead it encourages us to examine examples of unity that have been used to overcome struggle. It has more in common with films like The Help or Hidden Figures, than more aggressive films like Detroit (though that film is very intense and impressive). I would say Marshall will play out just as well at home as it does in a theater, but there is something about seeing it with a crowd that in this case adds to the experience. The gasps of the audience when an atrocity is displayed, the clapping when a bigot loses his/her battle-it is a good film to enjoy with an audience. From a technical standpoint, the film does not go out of its way to impress. The cinematography, costume and production design, music, editing-all seems serviceable if not particularly memorable. In this case its the story and the figures it portrays that you'll remember. 7/10.
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travishouze20 October 2017Growing up one of the first influential black figures I learned about was Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall. While my life didn't veer in the path he took, it was a chance for me as a young black male to see the dedication and time he took to his craft and where it could take you. Almost 2 decades have passed since then, and found myself surprised to see a film finally based on him and his capabilities. While the younger me was excited, I found myself wondering how this film would hold up side by side with other black period films like itself in recent history.
Thurgood (Chadwick Boseman) is working in the NAACP when he is tapped for a court case of the accusation of a black male rumored to have raped a woman and thrown her off into the river and left for dead. While he travels to Connecticut for the trial, he finds himself hard pressed given he is a out of town lawyer unfamiliar to the client, and is left to have a inexperienced attorney (Josh Gad) to speak on his behalf in court. While Thurgood knows most of the material and how to move in court, he has to show Josh's character the way to observe things his way.
The performances are all relatively solid by no surprise given the cast. Josh Gad is able to sell the inexperienced character almost having to be hand held through every decision made in the courtroom. Also the development of him progressively becoming more confident as time goes forward. The writing in the courtroom is interesting enough to keep you invested in knowing what's the truth and the holes in one plaintiff and defendants stories.
Alas, my biggest issue with the film is really the lasting impact. While it is perfectly watchable in the moment, I felt as if a story like this should have had more lasting impact than what I saw given it's a film in a movie theater. It's not as riddled with clichés like preceding films I've seen in the past, but misses a strong distinctive voice. For some the issues I had with Hidden Figures, I at least know who the target audience was for the film and what they wanted to take from the movie. Marshall doesn't really have that same feeling. The writing is never bad, but never as sharp as it feels like it should be until the second half when more gets revealed.
Marshall in a nutshell I would say is "almost there" as a movie. Fine within the moment but leaves a bit desired when the credits rolled. I wouldn't turn anyone away from seeing this, but may be best suited seen at home. -
asimow13 October 2017This enjoyable and inspiring movie is a worthy contribution to the courtroom movie genre. It memorializes the great Thurgood Marshall (who later won Brown v. Bd. of Education and sat on the Supreme Court). The film brings to life a forgotten rape case in Connecticut that Marshall tried early in his career when he was the solo staff lawyer at the NAACP. The story focuses on the plight of a black man accused of raping a white woman and it highlights issues of racism in the courtroom and on the streets. The movie recalls the classic fllms "To Kill a Mockingbird" (which also involved a black on white rape case) and "Anatomy of a Murder" (which also involved sexual issues and in which--like many real trials--we're never sure just what actually happened and who is telling the truth). The writing is sharp and witty and the acting and direction are great. Particularly strong is the emerging partnership and friendship of Marshall and the local lawyer, Sam Friedman, who had never tried a criminal case and thought he would just sit next to Marshall during the trial and and do nothing. But the judge forces Friedman to conduct the trial with Marshall serving as his adviser--and he rises to the occasion.
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iamjacksmoviechannel5 October 2017Whether it's the Godfather of Soul, the first black baseball player, or the first black superhero, it's fair to say Chadwick Boseman is becoming one of the best actors of his generation.
So there was high hopes for this bio-pic about NAACP Civil Rights lawyer and first black supreme court justice Thurgood Marshall.
The film looks at one of the first cases of his career; a black chauffeur accused of rape by his white employer in Connecticut. Josh Gad is also in the film as a Jewish lawyer roped into being lead on the case when a judge decrees Marshall can only assist. This is important as the Gadd character has never tried a criminal case before.
You keep expecting Boseman to get that nomination sooner or later, "Get on Up" should have been his ticket, but "Marshall" while pretty good in most areas, just doesn't feel like it has enough weight to it.
I wish they did go with a bigger case of his, or just go all out and go with the one he's known most for- Brown v. Board of Education.
The movie becomes another case of a black man being railroaded by a biased and corrupt system built on fabrications. For some that may be enough to hold them; the court room scenes that take up most of the movie are often rousing if not predictable.
This is all pretty easy-going though- by the second half it's pretty much a comedy the lengths most of the white people in this movie will go to to hide their prejudices.
At times it almost feels like their trying to start a Thurgood Marshall movie Universe here- like this one may not be that good but we'll tease you with some of the better stuff to come if you want it.
But even so, Boseman brings life to this character, whether it's Marshall's perceptiveness or his gift of gab, he's cool because he knows he's the smartest guy in the room at any given time.
Josh Gad has his moments but he still can't seem to fully get out of the goofy sidekick role. We'll have to see how he does in "Murder on the Orient Express".
Oddly enough this is a bio-pic that comes across more as a crowd-pleasing good time than something that's going to be remembered at the end of the year, which is fine.
I laughed, I was invested in the court trial mostly, the performances, including from Sterling K. Brown as the chauffeur are very good. Yet you just feel like it should have done more.
So the score is 7 out of 10. If you guys liked this, check out Craig James Capsule Reviews on Youtube for more. -
Marshall is a sleek legal drama with great performances from Chadwick Boseman as the title character and Josh Gad. Don't be fooled by the snazzy vintage costumes, the real heart of Marshall's success is its screenplay and the chemistry between its lead actors.
This film follows pioneering Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in his earlier years as a lawyer for the NAACP. A white socialite in Greenwich, Connecticut, accuses a black man of rape and attempted murder. The NAACP believes the man, Joseph Spell, is innocent and sends Marshall to defend him. Marshall enlists local lawyer Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) whose previous track record involves tax or insurance cases. Friedman worries about his family's safety due to the unrest the controversial trial causes. Sam and Thurgood must work together to defend Spell and each other.
This film is very good and so is its screenplay. The touches of comedy bring a welcome balance to its serious topic and difficult history. There is an array of good lines for Boseman and Gad. Several other actors get a chance to shine as well. I appreciate that Marshall takes its subjects seriously, but doesn't take on a dreary tone doing it. The scenes in the courtroom are intense and keep you interested in the action. As the case develops, these scenes get more and more engaging.
While Boseman is very good as Thurgood Marshall, his performance is disappointing considering how hyped his portrayal has been in the film's ad campaign. He gives Marshall a suave personality but the script limits his ability to show off his range and really take the character on a journey. On the other hand, Josh Gad is a standout as Sam Friedman. He plays to his comedic strengths as Marshall's sidekick while also giving a genuinely good dramatic performance as a central and evolved character. He is a nice foil to Boseman and their chemistry reminds me of a buddy cop comedy.
The lesson I take from the film is that you have to follow your moral compass even when it's hard. Sam's unwillingness to join the case makes sense. He is just starting out and worried that it could ruin his reputation. The fact that he does it anyway is a testament to the person Friedman must have been in real life.
I give Marshall an age rating of 14 to 18 because of some racial and offensive language and suggestive and violent content, including depictions of the alleged assault. And my verdict on Marshall? 4 out of 5 stars. Marshall opens in theaters on October 13, 2017 so go check it out.
Reviewed by Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. -
Prismark1028 June 2018Thurgood Marshall was a legendary lawyer who became the first black judge in the US Supreme Court.
Their is a good film to be made about his life, this is not it.
Marshall focuses in one attempted murder case that he was involved in back in 1941 when he was a lawyer for the NAACP.
It really is a modern version of To Kill a Mockingbird. A black man Joseph Spell is accused of raping a respectable married white woman who employed him. Spell then threw her off a bridge and left her to die.
Marshall comes to Connecticut and teams up with a reluctant Jewish insurance lawyer Sam Friedman because the judge would not allow Marshall to be lead counsel.
It is an effective courtroom drama, especially as Friedman is an inexperienced criminal lawyer who slowly discovers that there is more to law than insurance litigation.
Chadwick Boseman shines as Marshall but there is nothing groundbreaking here as Marshall leads Friedman into the nuances of criminal litigation. -
bkoganbing20 October 2017With the premiere of Marshall actor Chadwick Boseman has now played three cultural black icons. First there was James Brown the Godfather of Soul, then it was Jackie Robinson the first black player in modern times in major league baseball. Now it is Thurgood Marshall, but Marshall in his early days as a lawyer for the National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People.
Thurgood Marshall in his career litigated many major civil rights cases including the most famous of all Brown vs. Board Of Education in 1954 that integrated the school system nationwide. Later on his career was capped by becoming the first black justice on the Supreme Court.
This story takes place in the late 30s by the music and the radio broadcasts with the news of the day. Thurgood Marshall has been sent to Connecticut to defend Sterling K. Brown a black chauffeur on a charge of raping his employer Kate Hudson.
This may be the north, but the racial attitudes in Greenwich, Connecticut are only more subdued than they are in Alabama. Fairfield County in those days in the richer suburban towns are pretty bad. You remember from Auntie Mame the phrase, Aryan from Darien. They're not crazy about Jews either.
Marshall being an outsider to the state has to be admitted to the Connecticut bar. Local attorney Sam Friedman played by Josh Gad is the lead counsel temporarily and the first motion is to get Marshall admitted. That is usually a pro forma thing, note how Matt Damon has to be admitted to the bar in Tennessee in The Rainmaker.
Such courtesy is denied Marshall by Judge James Cromwell. But he's allowed to sit at the defense table and coach Friedman. Despite a few curves thrown at the defense Gad who only did civil cases before this for insurance companies proves to be a pretty good advocate.
Boseman steps up to his role just as he did with Jackie Robinson and James Brown. He also has some wonderful domestic scenes with his wife Keesha Sharp and at a nightclub with Jussie Smollett and Chilli Thomas as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. Good performances you think these are the real people.
Thurgood Marshall was also portrayed on screen by Sidney Poitier in the film Separate But Equal dealing with the school integration cases right up to the Supreme Court. These two really ought to be seen back to back for a full assessment of Marshall's career.
In his time when Lyndon Johnson appointed Marshall to the Supreme Court it wasn't just race that made Marshall's appointment unique. It was the whole level of experience in the kind of law he practiced for people like Sterling K. Brown. The goal is justice and the law has to work for all for justice to be realized.
Marshall is a film not to be missed. -
sebastiantorrestodd7 November 2019An exceptional story with great achievements and with great potential that delivers short in the movie, it could be a heartbreaking drama it could be an outstanding acting film but the played it safe, the cast, the screenplay, the pace, the script was just enough to make it work, yes the film is enjoyable, but without risks, just a great story captured in a regular but enjoyable movie.
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samabc-3195216 October 2020A powerful, engaging, sleek legal drama based on the facts .. a true story.. About one of the pioneer NAACP lawyer and his role during racial tensions .. how Thurgood Marshall was there "not to extinguish fire but to be one" in his words.. commendable performances by the protagonists Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad.. a must see
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samyoung-826489 September 2018You would think it would be straight forward to come up with a provocative movie set in the US when segregation was in vogue. Not so! Roger Friedman is a decendant of Sam Friedman and a film critic who wrote an interesting article criticising the many inaccuracies in this film.
So, the director and writers have an easy topic to critique history. They had a great man like Thurgood Marshall and some backward social attitudes that are as backward as our attitudes toward domestic violence today. Instead, the authors fill the movie with false facts and make Marshall look like an arrogant, unrefined twit (which he was neither). The directors and writers play the race card in all the wrong ways* and throw in a few sex jibes to top off a good dose of revisionism, undermining what could have been a great movie.
As others have said, Josh Gad was the better principal actor in this movie. Sterling Brown as the accused was far more nuanced and capable than Chadwick Boseman as Marshall. Boseman is charming, but a totally wrong fit.
I still give it a 6/10, which is very generous given the director and writers who totally failed to capture the essence of the story. The revisionist history and significant number of factual errors cast a large shadow over what could have been a great movie.
Is the truth not interesting enough? The real Marshall is an amazing man - far better than Boseman's insulting copy.
* Hollywood needs to curb its political correctness. I've banned my children from watching new movies until I screen them. That's how bad Hollywood has become. I know quite a few parents who feel the same way. -
jeremybrice30 July 2018I was hoping it would be a movie about the life of Thurgood Marshall. Instead it was focused on one case and didn't give much insight into Marshall at all. It was a decent movie, but with the life Marshall led, this can't have been even close to the most interesting story they could have told.
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SnoopyStyle30 March 2018It's 1941. Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) travels the country as NAACP's only lawyer crusading for black defendants against the racist justice system. His next case is in Greenwich, Connecticut where rich housewife Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson) has accused her driver Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) of raping her. Insurance lawyer Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) is recruited. He's reluctant and on top of that, Judge Foster (James Cromwell) refuses to accept Marshall into the local state bar. With Marshall silenced in court and with no criminal court experience, Friedman has to battle entitled prosecutor Loren Willis (Dan Stevens).
This is a biodrama of one particular case with future Supreme Court judge Marshall. The story is compelling and the history is fascinating. The actors are all first rate. The actual court case does have some awkward turns. It's a thin line between blaming the victim and searching for the truth. It may help to definitively declare Spell as innocent from the start. This shouldn't be a courtroom mystery and should skew more towards underdog courtroom drama. If Marshall gets the truth from Spell at the beginning, he would come out looking even better. There are a lot of twisting that reminds me too much of a TV courtroom drama. I do love a lot of this movie but little things keep bugging me. For example, I love the kitchen knife joke but their kiss after temple strikes me as too much. I prefer a knowing touch and a sweet smile for her husband to drive home that scene much better. None of the little issues prevent me from really enjoying this well-acted compelling historical drama. -
kz917-121 January 2018A look at the career of Thurgood Marshall. Maybe more people will know who he is and what exactly he accomplished.
Kudos entire cast was riveting! -
punisherversion125 July 2019Marshall Directed by Reginald Hudlin. Written by Michael Koskoff and Jacob Koskoff
I watch a variety of films. I like horror and thrillers but at the same time can enjoy a historical drama as well. This movie falls into that category. Marshall stars Chadwick Boseman(Black Panther) as Thurgood Marshall as he travels to Bridgeport, Connecticut to help a black man accused of raping a well to do woman. He is not allowed to participate in the court proceedings so his proxy is Josh Gad who is not a criminal defense attorney. This is all based on a true story. So it has that going for it.
This is a perfect example of a fine movie. A fine movie is enjoyable. A fine movie has quality performances throughout. A fine movie tells a story that you can follow and you might even be invested in but a fine movie doesn't do more than that. This is an important story. It tells how Marshall has this last trial to get the NAACP going in respect to civil rights progress.
It does all of this just fine. It just never engages more than that. It hits all the spots that it is supposed to hit when it comes to this kind of story. I hate trying to talk about movies like this. There is little to say because the movie tells it's courtroom drama adequately enough. It doesn't present with too much visual flair because the story is the most important aspect. I think it could have done with some melodramatics and some out there visual flair. It might have engaged with the pictures more than just the beat by beat it gives you.
I realize that I've not said anything about Black Panther himself. He's alright. He doesn't look a thing like Thurgood Marshall but that's not a big thing in this case. Sometimes it can be off putting. Sometimes it can be at the expense of who the character is internally. This does that somewhat. The case is the focal point.
I give this movie a C. -
ThomasDrufke13 November 2017I hate to say most, but there's a lot of biopics that are very formulaic in nature. And come to think of it, every genre deals with that issue. I can acknowledge that it's immensely hard to make a film that feels fresh and relevant at the same time. But I think the reason I tend to feel this way about biopics is because a lot of them seem to be directly aimed for the Oscar audience. And while that could be the case with Marshall, it's nothing less than a delightful film to watch.
As with so many biopics, the main reason Marshall succeeds is Chadwick Boseman's unsurprisingly good turn as the famous lawyer, Thurgood Marshall. Whether or not Thurgood was this way in real life, I absolutely loved the sheer display of confidence in Boseman's portrayal. It was almost to the point of cockiness, without being arrogant. It's that balance that made me appreciate what this man brought to the table.
Of course, there's also the dynamic of having a story that is still relevant to this day. Not only are people of color still discriminated, underestimated, and not believed in the court of law, but the idea of pitting race against race in the courtroom is something that is still unfortunately an issue today. So in a way, it was disheartening to watch the injustices happening throughout Marshall, as we know they are far from being over in the 1940's, but it's always nice to see something stick up for their people no matter what time period they are from.
Boseman isn't the only one who gives a good performance as Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, Kate Hudson, James Cromwell, and a few others give valuable turns as their respected characters. I think my only issue with the film is that it ultimately felt very safe. I'm not one to know how these real life cases played out, but Marshall definitely feels like it took a guarded approach to the subject matter. Because of that, you can appeal to a mass audience, but I don't know that it was as detailed or thorough that it needed to be. Don't get me wrong, Marshall is a powerful film, but I think it could have taken an even further step forward into that realm.
8.2/10 -
jbpeacesi10 October 2017Packed house last night at the AMC Lincoln Center Theater for the NY Times Film Club premiere, a crowd of old white presumably liberal folk with a noticeably Jewish vibe. What you'd expect from the Times Film Club, I suppose, but the absence of black faces was very strange, and put the whole experience out of kilter for me. The film seems aimed at a much younger and blacker audience. When, at the beginning of the film, Boseman offhandedly ordered Gad to carry his bags, and Gad complied immediately, the lone outburst of "Whoa!" fell into almost total (shocked?) silence. That set the tone for me. Marshall is flat-out superhero here, the master bringing sidekick Friedman rapidly up to speed on the state of the Real World. That Waking Up Friedman subplot runs in and out of the main courtroom rape drama, where Sterling K Brown and Kate Hudson nearly steal the show with their far more realistic turns as Spell and Strubing, and James Cromwell and Dan Stevens are skin-crawlingly detestable as judge and prosecutor stooping ever lower to defend the racist ivory tower of Bridgeport CT. How this will do immediately at the box office depends on a lot of other factors, including the trailers. But my guess is that the inherent value of the story, which couldn't be more timely, will connect with audiences on a deep level, while the shenanigans on the surface keep them entertained, and the in the end they'll put it together in their own way. I expect this will be a keeper, something that will be on TV and video for a long, long time, and that "Marshall" will enter the rap lexicon on several levels very quickly.
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'MARSHALL': Four Stars (Out of Five)
A courtroom drama/biopic about the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, and one of his first big cases. The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as Marshall, and it was directed by Reginald Hudlin (some fun trivia, Hudlin wrote the Marvel comic book 'Black Panther', from 2005 to 2008, and Boseman is now playing the character in the Marvel Studios movies). The screenplay was written by Michael and Jacob Koskoff. Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Stevens and James Cromwell all costar in the legal drama. It's received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's also a modest hit at the Box Office as well. I enjoyed it.
The story takes place in 1940 Bridgeport Connecticut. It revolves around Thurgood Marshall (Boseman), an NAACP lawyer who was traveling around the country defending people wrongly accused of crimes due to their color. He's sent to Connecticut to defend a chauffer, named Joseph Spell (Brown), who was accused of raping his employer, a white woman named Eleanor Strubing (Hudson). An insurance lawyer, named Sam Friedman (Gad), attempts to get Marshall admitted to the local bar, but the judge (Cromwell) refuses to allow him tospeak during the trial. So Friedman is forced to become Spell's lead counsel, with Marshall assisting him through notes and whispers. The movie is a pretty routine courtroom drama, but it's much more involving because of it's social commentary (on the racism of that time). It's got a great cast, especially Boseman in the lead, who makes a very powerful and charismatic leading man. The film is involving, and aptly directed, but it's also mostly predictable. It's still a lot of fun to watch though, and movies about racial injustice are always important. -
bastos24 May 2020As always, when I watch a movie based on real events, I try to compare to what really happened and I usually end up not liking the movie that much because of this. With this one I think they did an excellent job with the case, being pretty faithful to what really happened, with some details changed, but most of it is pretty accurate. Chadwick Boseman turns up another excellent performance as the titular Thurgood Marshall. The production design is impeccable and the courtroom scenes very engaging. So everything seems fine with this movie, with one notable exception, Sam Friedman, here played by Josh Gad. Everything about him is wrong and a total disrespect for the man. This case was mostly won by him with very little help from Marshall, which begs the question, if you wanted to make a movie about Thurgood Marshall why choose a case in which he didn't have that big of an impact, and change everything to make it look like he did? Why not make a movie about his most famous cases? I really can't answer this questions and it casts a giant shadow over the movie.
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danielepps-1112414 November 2017Marshall appeared to be written to the audience of people who probably did not know very much about the early NAACP, or Thurgood Marshall in general. The movie did not captivate his pinnacle case "Brown vs Board of Education Topeka" or his ascension to the Supreme Court. The movie did not highlight any of his 32 cases before the United States Supreme Court. This movie was an introductory that raises one's interest in the subject of this man, his contributions to civil rights, and obstacles that faced African Americans during this period of United States History.
I would recommend this movie to people who are very knowledgeable of Justice Marshall, or perhaps not fully aware of the ramifications of his life's work. Perhaps millennial, like myself, who cannot fully appreciate the journey and progress of civil rights, were the target audience of this movie.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and think it is currently undervalued. The actor who played Justice Marshall was great, the actor who played Mr. Friedman was excellent as well. I would also like to give a shoutout to the way the movie portrayed the residing judge of this case, because he was a very significant character and his transitions in the movie truly gave the movie a climactic moment that really resonated with me. I would recommend Marshall to any of my friends and thought it was great. -
Gordon-1123 February 2018This film tells the story of a African American lawyer, who fights against social Injustice by helping people who are charged with crimes because of their skin color.
"Marshall" tells a compelling story of the fight for the right and just. The story is gripping because it is not an easy fight. Indeed, the African American characters evoke much sympathy and really connects with the viewers. I enjoyed it a lot. -
It is set in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1941 and is "based on" one of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's early civil rights cases when he was a practicing lawyer.
Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) is a young NAACP staff lawyer sent to Greenwich, Connecticut, to defend Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) against the charge of raping and attempting to kill his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). He was said to have raped her, then bound her, and thrown her off a bridge. However, she managed to swim to shore and then reported the rape. Since Marshall came from out-of-state, he needed a local lawyer to be part of the case. Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) was a Jewish lawyer who only handled civil, not criminal, cases. He was initially reluctant to take the case. The movie depicts Judge Foster (James Cromwell) as biased and the prosecutor, Loris Willis) as an Ivy League snob. The Judge allows Marshall to sit the second chair but not to make arguments or question witnesses, so Marshall coaches Friedman throughout the trial.
The movie then details the trial with flashbacks to illustrate Eleanor Strubing's story and later illustrates Joseph Spell's claim that the sex was consensual, that he had initially approached her for money, and that she had invited the sex. He said that Strubing only panicked after the fact and jumped off the bridge of her own volition. Friedman manages to raise doubt based on gaps and contradictions in Strubing's story, and the jury ultimately finds Spell not guilty.
This was quite a famous trial when it took place in early 1941. It was a front-page story in the New York Times when the incident happened (the story is in the December 12, 1940 issue of the Times.). Contrary to the film, Sam Friedman and Thurgood Marshall were much more equal than portrayed in the film. Friedman was a bit older and already had a reputation for theatrical performance in courts. He had been hired by the NAACP before Marshall got to town. Indeed, Friedman did act as the lead defense lawyer in the trial. Again contrary to the film, Joseph Spell had admitted from the beginning that he had sex with Eleanor Strubing but always insisted it was consensual. Strubing's contradictory story included a ransom note that was never found and a rope said to have bound her hands that were never found. There were actual doubts about her story from the beginning. Nonetheless, it was a remarkable success story for the NAACP.
This is an interesting film. The relationship between Marshall and Friedman includes humor and Friedman's sensibilities arising from his own Jewish background. Chadwick Boseman is excellent as a self-confident black lawyer. Josh Gad is a good complement to the Marshall character. -
Leaving aside the civil justice warrior biography template that's slightly overdone in Hollywood - this film works on every other front. The acting is exceptional, the script and storylines well selected.
For a biography, enough shades of grey though there could have been more, the story is an important one. The direction and editing also deserves a mention. The character of Sam is very well created/portrayed and despite the high brow thrill of courtroom drama, it brings home truths and lies close to reality.
If not for anything, it is a story of America, its history and its values told from the perspective of one phenomenal man's fight along the way. Watch it for the story if not anything else! -
StudleyDave8 September 2020Had forgotten how much I enjoyed this old school style courtroom drama... and how good Chadwick is in it! Brilliantly acted and well written