Released through Amazon Prime, Maggie Betts star-studded true life court room drama is the perfect feel-good offering that is unlikely to make any sought of lasting impression on viewers but thanks to its David vs Goliath like qualities and a scene-chewing Jamie Foxx on top form, The Burial is a crowdpleaser that is sure to win over the jury.
Pitting Oscar winners Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones alongside one another as flashy lawyer Willie Gray and grizzled businessman Jeremiah O'Keefe respectively, Betts finds an easy going formula with her two lead actors who get able support from renowned character actors like Alan Ruck and Bill Camp and rising star Jurnee Smollett as The Burial examines the high-profile court case between funeral home owner O'Keefe and Camp's billionaire dollar businessman Ray Loewen's corporation.
From the moment we are introduced to Gray preaching to an eagerly attentive church congregation and O'Keefe enjoying a nice family get together, framing each characters individuality and personas in one easy to consume bite, you quickly begin to gather that The Burial is going to stick fairly closely to the well-trodden and proven formula of good vs bad and little in the way of any grey area but despite its clearly identifiable formalities, it's hard to be disenfranchised by a film that does what it does so smoothly, even though at times it stumbles in some subplots and side acts that don't hit the mark.
When it veers off course and gets involved in narrative components that feel more like additional Hail Mary's to add weight or topical subject matters The Burial can at times be weighed down by trying to overplay its hand and its reach but when the focus remains on Foxx and Lee Jones and their natural screen presence given time to hog the spotlight, Bett's film is one of the years most easy to enjoy tales.
Showing more wear and tear from the years that have gone by, Lee Jones does little to stretch himself here as the mild-mannered but determined O'Keefe but the esteemed performer much like the film as a whole benefits greatly from Foxx's most enthusiastic performance in many a year with the actor as good as he's been in a long time as the smart-talking and charismatic Gray.
Dominating every scene his in ensemble wise or solo, Foxx is having a blast here bringing Gray to life and while there is no doubt that many mannerisms or moments of Gray's part in this tale have been embellished here for creative reasons, there's an undeniable energy and magic that Foxx unleashes here and ensures that whenever he is on screen, The Burial is a pleasure too watch.
Final Say -
Enhanced by its two lead performers with Foxx in particular bringing his A-game, this true life based court room drama may not attempt anything we haven't seen before but it doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable diversion for anyone seeking out a feature of this kind.
3 1/2 lavish office desks out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
Pitting Oscar winners Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones alongside one another as flashy lawyer Willie Gray and grizzled businessman Jeremiah O'Keefe respectively, Betts finds an easy going formula with her two lead actors who get able support from renowned character actors like Alan Ruck and Bill Camp and rising star Jurnee Smollett as The Burial examines the high-profile court case between funeral home owner O'Keefe and Camp's billionaire dollar businessman Ray Loewen's corporation.
From the moment we are introduced to Gray preaching to an eagerly attentive church congregation and O'Keefe enjoying a nice family get together, framing each characters individuality and personas in one easy to consume bite, you quickly begin to gather that The Burial is going to stick fairly closely to the well-trodden and proven formula of good vs bad and little in the way of any grey area but despite its clearly identifiable formalities, it's hard to be disenfranchised by a film that does what it does so smoothly, even though at times it stumbles in some subplots and side acts that don't hit the mark.
When it veers off course and gets involved in narrative components that feel more like additional Hail Mary's to add weight or topical subject matters The Burial can at times be weighed down by trying to overplay its hand and its reach but when the focus remains on Foxx and Lee Jones and their natural screen presence given time to hog the spotlight, Bett's film is one of the years most easy to enjoy tales.
Showing more wear and tear from the years that have gone by, Lee Jones does little to stretch himself here as the mild-mannered but determined O'Keefe but the esteemed performer much like the film as a whole benefits greatly from Foxx's most enthusiastic performance in many a year with the actor as good as he's been in a long time as the smart-talking and charismatic Gray.
Dominating every scene his in ensemble wise or solo, Foxx is having a blast here bringing Gray to life and while there is no doubt that many mannerisms or moments of Gray's part in this tale have been embellished here for creative reasons, there's an undeniable energy and magic that Foxx unleashes here and ensures that whenever he is on screen, The Burial is a pleasure too watch.
Final Say -
Enhanced by its two lead performers with Foxx in particular bringing his A-game, this true life based court room drama may not attempt anything we haven't seen before but it doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable diversion for anyone seeking out a feature of this kind.
3 1/2 lavish office desks out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)