Marshall
2017  PG-13  DRAMA  1h 58min
CAST— Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, James Cromwell
MUSIC— Marcus Miller  DIRECTOR— Reginald Hudlin  BASED ON— True events

     A stirring account of a true court case, one which helped to establish the illustrative career of a future civil rights advocate and US Supreme Court Justice. It's 1940, and defense attorney Thurgood Marshall, commissioned by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is earning quite a reputation nationwide. The NAACP sends Marshall to defend innocent people of color who've been accused of committing crimes. He's now sent to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where a black man has been accused of raping a white woman. To assist Marshall is a rather reluctant young insurance lawyer who's never even been close to this kind of high profile criminal case. The two listen to their client deny the allegations... but is there something else going on here? Through the course of the trial the two lawyers face opposition and hostility not only from townsfolk holding to bigoted ideals, but also within the courtroom, the prosecution and even the judge seemingly determined to condemn the accused. Testimonies, records and revelations reveal that not all is as it seems in this case. A courtroom procedural that features great performances from the leads as well as compelling dramatics. But the trial itself, while certainly historical in life, doesn't really offer the film goer anything that can't be found in any number of legal dramas. Though given a PG-13 rating the film does contain strong language, including racial slurs, and frank discussion of adult subject matter. Final note: if the viewer finds this film interesting be sure to check out the 1991 TV miniseries Separate but Equal, featuring an excellent performance by Sidney Poitier as Marshall.
OUR RATING— ** ½