For me, this is the first time I'm seeing Chadwick Boseman headlining a movie; and I don't know he felt a little unnatural as Thurgood Marshall.
Perhaps a larger part of that was due to director Reginald Hudlin - who has not directed a feature film in a long while now. And he directed Boseman as if he existed in a TV series, not a movie. However, I am unfamiliar with both their work so I cannot say for sure what happened.
Having said that, Josh Gad performed just fine supporting Boseman. He was charming, funny, and he was the audience's eyes into this world so he was easier to relate. As was Sterling K. Brown who left no trace of who he is but became his character.
The story definitely was a compelling one, and the element of mystery came through stronger than I expected - which made the story more fictional than factual somehow. Marshall as a character was more in the veins of a Sherlock Holmes type of character than someone from the past. And this was also where I would disagree with the direction Hudlin took.
Also, during one crucial turning point for Gad's character arguing in the courtroom, the dialogue was so weird as he looked more like badgering the witness rather than creating a narrative. And the responses from James Cromwell as the judge also looked inconsistent and slower than one would expect.
Only Dan Stevens performed well under Hudlin as the opposition in court against Gad and Boseman. But even so, I felt that his talents was wasted in this movie.
But still, the entertainment value was there and especially the year that we had in 2017; this movie definitely has a place in it.
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