Denial **** (2016, Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott) – Movie Review

Strapping on a New York Queen’s district accent courtesy her dialogue coach, Rachel Weisz is ideal as Jewish American historian Deborah Lipstadt, who comes to London’s Old Bailey to defend herself when British historian David Irving, who denies the Holocaust occurred, sues her in the UK for libel. In the UK she has to prove her innocence, in the US he would have had to prove his.

There are three other eye-catching performances in director Mick Jackson’s sterling 2016 biographical drama and courtroom thriller. They come from Timothy Spall as Irving, in a cold and chilly performance as the villain of the piece from this charismatic actor; Tom Wilkinson as Lipstadt’s smoking, drinking, eating,smugly brusque QC Richard Rampton, in a warm-hearted, not too fussy performance; and Andrew Scott as Lipstadt’s ever-so-English lawyer, chewing every word coolly.

There’s the tiniest bit of space left for Alex Jennings as the trial judge Sir Charles Gray, but Harriet Walter as Holocaust survivor Vera Reich, Mark Gatiss as expert witness Professor Robert Jan van der Pelt, John Sessions as historian Professor Richard Evans, and Jack Lowden and Caren Pistorius as eager young lawyers don’t really get a look in. Their roles are cyphers, so they can’t make an impression.

This apart, and a bit of sentimentality apart too, and its rather hard-to-swallow pro-lawyer stance apart too, David Hare (screenplay is a very strong one indeed. It is really good, rousing stuff, with a popular touch to make it an audience pleaser, It is intelligent and thoughtful, but not too cerebral, not over subtle but subtle enough. Hey, we can follow it all very easily!

It is a good and gripping film, telling a fascinating story, touching on all-important issues, but with a useful sideways glance. It looked a bit depressing from the trailers, but, no, it’s not like that at all. It is quite riveting, with the outcome of the trial milked mercilessly till the last moment for all those who don’t know the story. The film is very entertaining and enjoyable, and expertly handled by director Jackson, who moves it along briskly and smoothly.

It has a single 2017 BAFTA Film Award nomination – for Outstanding British Film of the Year.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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