Movie Review - Denial

Denial (2016)

Starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, and Andrew Scott

Directed by Mick Jackson 

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Based on a true story, Denial details the story of Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), an American professor of Holocaust studies who is sued in Britain by renowned Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall) because of something she wrote about him in her recently released book.  British law differs from American law in that the burden of proof when it comes to libel falls to the defendant so Deborah and her legal team headed by Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson) must prove that Irving's denials of the Holocaust are false.  One would think that determining the legitimacy of the Holocaust would be an easy task, but in the court of law, one mustn't take anything for granted and Rampton  and his team find it a surprisingly more difficult job than they initially believed.

Denial is one of those interesting pieces of history that deserves to be told and is seemingly too crazy to actually be believed.  Would a Holocaust denier really sue a professor simply because she disparaged his crazed beliefs in a book?  Yep...and to think that the British legal system almost let him get away with his nutty lawsuit.  The film itself is rather straightforward, but it's well-paced and well-acted with a strong leading performance by Rachel Weisz who carries the film ably on her shoulders.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - The Love Punch

The Love Punch (2014)

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, and Celia Imrie

Directed by Joel Hopkins

In The Love Punch, Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson play Richard and Kate Jones, a divorced couple whose retirement nest egg is depleted after a nasty young French businessman buys the company for whom Richard works.  Richard and Kate are obviously devastated, but after discovering that the businessman is due to be married to a French model whom he has bestowed the biggest diamond ever sold at auction, Kate hatches a plan to steal the diamond in order to make back their money as they enlist the help of their best friends (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie) as they trek across France.

This comedic caper first lacks any comedy.  With the exception of maybe a chuckle or two, The Love Punch falls completely flat.  It's also a flick that's much too obvious and transparent with the bickering Richard and Kate inevitably being set up to fall in love again from the film's opening scenes.  Brosnan and Thompson (along with Spall and Imrie) try to make the most of things, but when they're tethered to lame jokes that play off their age -- lack of bladder control being used multiple times -- they can't save this lame duck.

The RyMickey Rating:  D-