Denzel Washington plays Roman J. Israel in the upcoming legal drama film Roman J. Israel, Esq., written and directed by Dan Gilroy.
The movie follows Israel, a snappy liberal lawyer who gets fired from the law firm he’s been working for and puts himself into a dangerous situation while trying to “make a living”.
“You were a cornerstone of activism, you’re inspiring.” – a woman tells Israel, wiping her tears, in one of the scenes, taking place after he talks in front of an audience about “what to expect if you are arrested”. “I’m tired of doing the impossible for the ungrateful.” – he says in another scene. He is then shown having a conversation with Colin Farrell’s character, who tells him he’s “got to make a living”. Apparently, Israel decides to help a murder suspect named Carter T. Johnson, but what he does is taking advantage of his status as an attorney, find out information that he says will be kept confidential, and use it to get a reward in cash. When he starts believing that “life is wonderful”, his life takes a dramatic turn and is put at risk as dangerous criminals threaten him. “Each one of us is greater than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” – he is heard saying at the end of the trailer.
The soundtrack music is the 2014 single “I” by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his third studio album, “To Pimp a Butterfly”, released on March 15, 2015.
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is set to hit theaters on November 3.