Denial

Year: 2016
Genre: Drama
Directed: Mick Jackson
Stars: Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott, Jack Lowden, Caren Pistorius, Alex Jennings, Harriet Walter, Mark Gatiss, John Sessions, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Pip Carter
Production: BBC Films

There's something strangely alluring about courtroom dramas. Dramas for the most part seek out ambiguity or at the very least explore it when it presents itself within a narrative. When Amon Goeth attempts mercy in Schindler's List (1993), there's a moment, however brief when we think we see humanity in the darkest of places. Not so much in courtroom dramas. In courtroom dramas there is a clear wronged party, a clear defense and prosecution, and a clear result at the end of the day. In many ways, they're not meant to be a celebration of people but a celebration of a system. One where we take for granted a presumption of innocence.

"Well, not here in the U.K." remarks Anthony Julius (Scott), a popular Solicitor tasked with taking on Deborah Lipstadt's (Weisz) defense against a particularly nasty libel suit. In the real life case, the American historian and Professor of Jewish  History was sued for calling historical author David Irving (Spall) (among other things) a Holocaust denier. In order to make her mounting problems disappear, Lipstadt must either settle for a measly sum out of court or raise the funds for a case that ends up putting the entire Holocaust on trial.

Audiences will no doubt feel the same stifling lack of autonomy Lipstadt the character feels throughout the four year long trial. She's pitted against a blistering and theatrical villain whose quotable discourse sells copy but she herself is ordered by her defense team to keep quiet and let the big boys do their job. What results is a defendant that pokes, prods and creates undue drama under the guise of trying to give Holocaust survivors a voice but only seems to be serving her damaged ego.

...You telling me no one has seen this movie?!

That may be fine and acceptable characterization if your goal is to show the consequences of crusade a la Greg Kinnear's character in Flash of Genius (2008). But this isn't about windshield wipers, this is the Holocaust, a very real, very painful chapter in 20th century world history. In that regard Denial has a problem seeing the forest through the trees. It pads time with examinations of court procedures and what amounts to just two set pieces involving denier claims. The rest of the time the film takes detours to Auschwitz in sequences that should have been poignant and gripping but simply aren't.

As it stands Denial is too obvious in its message to give the audience much to mull over. The film amounts to nothing more than a big angry rant against Holocaust deniers, anti-Semites and brazen falsifiers of the truth. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I do think Denial has the talent, opportunity and evocation to do and say a lot more. Perhaps widen its umbrella to a message about building a worldview based on the facts and not the other way around.

I'm just spitballing here...

I think this whole thing's gonna just blow over.

One of the last scenes in the film involves a completely discredited Irving still spouting nonsense on TV. Lipstadt turns him off as if to be an analog to the disinterested crowd in Harrison Brady's courtroom. Yet with constant references to David Vs. Goliath it's troubling to think that it is Irving who doesn't give up or give in. Perhaps in this case, it's the heroes who are in denial.

Final Grade: C