When you give Denzel Washington a script worthy of the talent that shoots out of every look he gives the camera, something special happens.  Conventional wisdom has had it that Gary Oldman has had Best Actor sewn up for months for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.  Then Roman J. Israel Esq. began making the rounds at festivals, and Denzel looks like he may be back in the hunt for his third Oscar (he should’ve won it for Fences last year).  He gained weight and uncapped his teeth to play an unconventional lawyer thrown into a series of increasingly dangerous and out-of-control events.  Directed by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) and co-starring Colin Farrell, this just became appointment viewing for fans of Washington’s work and movies in general when it opens on November 3, 2017.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell costars as the ambitious, monied lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm.

This cast features also includes Carmen Ejogo, Lynda Gravatt, Amanda Warren, Hugo Armstrong, Sam Gilroy, Tony Plana, DeRon Horton and Amari Cheatom.