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      The Verdict

      R Released Dec 8, 1982 2 hr. 2 min. Drama TRAILER for The Verdict: Trailer 1 List
      88% 40 Reviews Tomatometer 88% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score A boozing lawyer (Paul Newman) takes on a law-firm dean (James Mason), the Archdiocese of Boston and the system in general. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Apr 24 Buy Now

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      The Verdict

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      Critics Consensus

      Paul Newman is at the peak of his powers as an attorney who never lived up to his potential in The Verdict, supported by David Mamet's crackling script and Sidney Lumet's confident direction.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Alec C Justice may not come easy, but it does come through the people fighting for it! As a disgraced lawyer is given a medical malpractice case, he sees a chance to redeem himself amidst corruption and cynicism throughout the trial. Paul Newman adds the emotional weight in this emotional trial drama that will leave you bawling when the credits roll! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/20/24 Full Review Paul J One of, if not THE best Paul Newman movie. Powerful, modern performances. Riveting trial. And beautiful ending. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/07/24 Full Review Marcus E Watching in 2024 and it was a ok watch. Nothing extraordinary or superb, but watching it for free was ok. Not all that impressive and the late twist or three was just that as I clearly saw most of them coming. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review Bob I'm so glad I saw this in 2023, otherwise L.A. Law would have sucked even more. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review Trey W Wonderful movie from 1982… Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/29/23 Full Review Tic Toc M Formulaic and way slower paced than it needed to be (too many dramatic pauses; this could have been an hour and a half instead of two, and you wouldn't have had to change a single line). The last act is pure formula you've seen a million times, with a slow and depressing tone. He starts giving his "hail mary" closing argument and the camera slowly pushes in on him. But it's essential for Paul Newman fans. It's always good to see James Mason and Jack Warden. The Charlotte Rampling part is typically underwritten, cliched, gratuitous ("we've got to give Paul a love interest!") and ridiculous. Instead of James Mason having Eva Marie Saint working for him, he's got Charlotte Rampling. It was a plot device that worked better in the 50s. Still, it's compelling to watch, the shots of Newman playing pinball have always stayed with me as an image. Lumet obviously peaked a few years earlier with "Network" and "Dog Day Afternoon" and although this hasn't aged as well as those two masterpieces, it's essential if you're going through the best of his filmography. It certainly was well-received at the time, but I think it's worth watching only if you're studying Newman or Lumet or Mamet (or James Mason, or Jack Warden for that matter!) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Gary Arnold Washington Post The portentousness is often a disservice to the actors, embedded in dead air with roles too feebly written to get the ventilation going. Mar 1, 2024 Full Review William Thomas Empire Magazine It's Newman's performance itself that really makes this film work and helps it truly get close to Lumet's own '12 Angry Men'. Rated: 4/5 Mar 1, 2024 Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian It is difficult to remember a courtroom drama of such efficiency as The Verdict, nor better performances from Newman. Mar 24, 2023 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …still works, largely due to Newman’s untypical performance that drives the narrative beyond character study to high drama… Rated: 4/5 Jul 22, 2022 Full Review Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media Dated by the slew of movies and TV series that have followed, this 1982 courtroom drama, while solid enough, suffers from not delving enough into its main character. Rated: 3/5 Dec 8, 2021 Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Not only is it the top-shelf courtroom drama it is renowned to be thirty years later, the film is an outstanding character piece and a little bit of a lawyer's equivalent to a "one last score" job. Rated: 5/5 Apr 12, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A boozing lawyer (Paul Newman) takes on a law-firm dean (James Mason), the Archdiocese of Boston and the system in general.
      Director
      Sidney Lumet
      Screenwriter
      David Mamet
      Production Co
      Twentieth Century Fox
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 8, 1982, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 28, 2015
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