Summary
Denzel Washingtonusually has critics and/or audiences on his side when he stars in a new movie, but he made one film back in 2017 that both critics and audiences agreed was “rotten.” Washington is both one of the most bankable A-list stars in Hollywood and one of the most highly acclaimed actors working today. Throughout his career, Washington’s versatile performances have earned him two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AFI Life Achievement Award. Suffice to say, he’s a pretty well-regarded actor.
When Washington makes a critic-friendly movie, likeThe Tragedy of Macbeth, it tends to get rave reviews from critics and a lukewarm reception from audiences. When he makesa crowd-pleasing action thriller, likeMan on Fire, it’ll be panned by critics but get a much more enthusiastic response from audiences. But it’s rare that a movie starring Washington has both critics and audiences turning against it. Unfortunately, that’s what happened with a little movie calledRoman J. Israel, Esq.in 2017.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. Is Denzel Washington’s Only Movie In The Last Decade With Rotten Critics & Audience Scores
Some others were “rotten” with critics, but not with audiences
In 2017, Washington teamed up withNightcrawlerdirector Dan Gilroy to make a legal drama calledRoman J. Israel, Esq.Washington plays the title character, an idealistic civil rights advocate and defense attorney who finds himself in the midst of a personal crisis. Not only did the movie bomb at the box office; it was also met with mixed reviews from critics. Witha Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 55% and an audience score of 57%,Roman J. Israel, Esq.is the only Washington movie of the past decade deemed “rotten” by both critics and audiences.
Roman J. Israel, Esq.isn’t the only Washington movie of the past 10 years that got a “rotten” score from critics, but it is the only one to get a “rotten” score from both critics and audiences. 2018’sThe Equalizer 2got a 52% rating from critics, but a slightly warmer rating of 61% (1% over the “fresh” threshold) from audiences. 2021’sThe Little Thingsgot a critics’ score of 45%, but an audience score of 67%.Washington’s 2021 directorial effortA Journal for Jordangot a lackluster critics’ score of 39%, but earned a near-perfect audience score of 95%.
Why Did Critics & Audiences Dislike Roman J. Israel Esq.?
It was a problem with pacing, not with Washington’s performance
According to the critical consensus,the biggest problems withRoman J. Israel, Esq.are its plotting and its pacing. The movie wants to be a morality play tackling an unjust justice system, but it doesn’t quite manage to pull off that ambitious approach. It sets up a few intriguing story threads, but the way it handles the ensuing mysteries is too heavy-handed to be truly compelling. It works as a character study purely because Washington brings the character to life with more depth than he has on the page.
Interestingly, out of all the negativereviews forRoman J. Israel, Esq., no one criticized Washington’s performance. The film itself wasn’t well-received, but Washington’s performance was – he even scored an Oscar nod. Even inRoman J. Israel, Esq.’s harshest reviews, Washington’s performance was praised. It goes back to the old adage that actors can’t control how a movie will turn out; they can only control how good their performance is. Washington often lives up to this tenet – whether a movie he’s starring in is a masterpiece or a misfire, he always turns in an impressive performance.
Denzel Washington Has Very Few Movies Rotten With Both Critics & Audiences
Washington’s movies tend to be well-received
It’s rare that one of Washington’s movies will receive a “rotten” score from both critics and audiences. Out of the dozens of feature films he’s starred in, only seven (includingRoman J. Israel, Esq.) have been met with a “rotten” score from both critics and audiences. Audiences tend to like Washington’s movies more than the latter;some of Washington’s worst-reviewed movies have an impressive audience score.John Qhas 26% from critics and 78% from audiences.Man on Firehas 39% from critics and 89% from audiences.The Bone Collectorhas 29% from critics and 63% from audiences.
It often seems to be the case that critics are disappointed when Washington’s talents are underutilized by a less-than-great movie, whereas Washington’s fans are just happy to see him deliver a solid performance. But even on that scale,Roman J. Israel, Esq.misses the mark.Denzel Washingtonis great in it as always, but according to the Rotten Tomatoes audience score, that’s not enough to make up for the movie’s missteps.
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Cast
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is an Oscar-nominated film starring Denzel Washington. Washington plays Roman J. Israel, Esq, who abandons his idealistic beliefs as a defense attorney to take extreme action as a civil rights advocate. The film was released in 2017 and directed by Dan Gilroy, who previously helmed Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
