I found it very difficult to judge “The Judge.” Perhaps more than than any film in recent memory, “The Judge” flirts with the line between good cinema and bad cinema, between right and wrong.

The premise is tried, tired and true and the writing is, at times, excruciatingly unimaginative. Just about every “big city lawyer comes home to his rural hometown” trope is shamelessly present. Not only are the poor writing choices glaring obvious, they are executed with such gusto that they occasionally work, which is confusing, and are occasionally abysmal.

Robert Downy Jr. and Robert Duvall lead an impressive and talented cast. The actors commitment to this story is evident, and comes through in their performances. A committed actor will almost always deliver a better performance than someone who is phoning it it; however, commitment to a project that is as unsteady as “The Judge” occasionally has greats like Downy Jr. and, to a lesser degree, Duvall taking shots that hit nothing but air.

I found it difficult to get overly excited or overly morose about “The Judge.” Every time it felt like the movie was heading down a path that ended in a ravine filled with terrible “Lifetime Channel-esque” dramatic reveals the proverbial bridge would magically complete itself and the film would coast to safety.

That feeling of never knowing when the film might finally topple is perhaps the best description and review that I can make. Despite all of the back and forth, “The Judge” is ultimately a poor film with strong moments as opposed to a good film with weak moments. If taken out of the hands of a subjective reviewer and judged instead by an absolute law, such as gravity, “The Judge” would crumble and, ultimately, fall.

3 of 6 stars