Chadwick Boseman stars in the Thurgood Marshall biopic, Marshall, following one of Marshall's early cases before the famous Brown v. Education case and becoming the first African-American United States Supreme Court Justice. Marshall (Boseman) is the only attorney for the NAACP, and he travels the country defending those who are innocent and facing unfair treatment due to the color of their skin. Here, the defendant is chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown) who is accused of raping and attempting to murder Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). Because Marshall is not licensed in the state where the case is taking place, he must enlist the reluctant help of Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) who is a local, Jewish insurance defense attorney.
While a good amount of the film takes place in the courtroom, the film manages not to be courtroom heavy or dense. This is thanks in large part to the film also spending some time revealing parts of Marshall's personal life to the audience. Keesha Sharp plays his wife, Vivien "Buster" Burey, and the film shares scenes of the couple together, as well as a shared tragedy. What I especially liked about the film, probably because of my love of the Harlem Renaissance, was the inclusion of Langston Hughes (Jussie Smollett) and Zora Neale Hurston (Chilli) briefly in the film. The historical nuggets and references were embedded just enough to excite a history buff like myself, without losing the rest of the audience or distracting from the focal point of the film, the case. The film also spent some time following the personal life of Sam Friedman and his family, who endured antisemitism and family in Europe living through the Holocaust.
What I enjoyed most about the film was the confidence and style with which Boseman carries Marshall on the screen. Coupled with the set design and costuming, the audience is truly transported to that time period. He was the best of the best in the courtroom, and he knew it and carried that same confidence even outside the courtroom. He was a 3-dimensional character, not just a lawyer arguing at a trial. Additionally, while he was not allowed to speak during the trial, it was clear throughout the film that he was running the show and the most capable to do so (no made up White savior scenes like the restroom sign scene in Hidden Figures).
The acting, especially from Boseman, Gad, and Brown, was excellent! The story and the execution of it was great, as well. I appreciated the moments of levity immersed throughout the film, which of course dealt with some serious issues (racism, antisemitism, social injustice, unfair criminal justice system). Even beyond the comedic moments, the story managed to portray serious subject matters without becoming a film that leaves you distraught or angry. This is thanks in large part to the film focusing on Marshall being an unstoppable change agent, as opposed to a film about what the world was doing to him and African-Americans. The film was about what Marshall was determined to do about it, allowing it to leave the audience more focused on what Marshall has inspired in them to be a change agent in today's society. This is amplified in the final scene when Marshall arrives in the next city he will be trying a case in and is picked up by characters played by Trayvon Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and their attorney.
As we all know, there is still great injustices in the United States today, and Marshall serves as both inspiration and a reminder to stand up for justice!
10/10