Just about every beat of Maggie Betts' "The Burial" is predictable. The movie, which is based on a true story and is adapted from Jonathan Harr's article in The New Yorker, leans heavily on tried-and-true courtroom drama moments and doesn't miss a chance to use every trope. Despite its pervasive familiarity, Betts makes "The Burial" a winning outing.
If we were still living in the 90s, "The Burial" would have made over $100 million at the box office and probably would have been nominated for Best Picture, and maybe would even have won. In today's marketplace, neither of those achievements will happen ("The Burial" will play on Prime Video after its brief theatrical run), but the movie is a worthy Friday night viewing at home and shouldn't get lost in the streaming abyss.
Tommy Lee Jones brings his reliably gruff persona to his role as Jeremiah O'Keefe, whose family-owned funeral business is at risk of being run out by a larger corporation called The Loewen Group, led by Ray Loewen (Bill Camp). A deal between Jeremiah and Ray goes awry, which causes Jeremiah to bring a suit against Ray and The Loewen Group. Jeremiah's legal team consists of his friend and longtime attorney Mike (Alan Ruck), and Hal (Mamoudou Athie), a young lawyer who convinces Jeremiah to bring Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) on board.
Willie is a larger-than-life presence, often referring to himself in the third person and hesitant to take on Jeremiah's case for a variety of reasons (the possible monetary outcome doesn't seem worth it to Willie, plus he doesn't have any white clients). Hal convinces Willie that Jeremiah's case and personal story is worth getting behind and Willie eventually comes aboard.
From the beginning, it's easy to chart how "The Burial" will go, but it's comfortable in its formulaic approach, and Betts' steady hand behind the camera keeps the movie lively throughout. At the forefront of the generic crowd-pleasing moments is a full-fledged movie star performance from Foxx. The Oscar winner has been churning out disposable Netflix action movies lately, but the role of Willie allows him to pour his famous charisma into every inch of his performance. It's an over-the-top performance, but Foxx gives context to why Willie acts a certain way. Whether he is sparring with opposing counsel Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett) or meeting with Jeremiah, Foxx allows some nuance and shading in the midst of Willie's bombast.
There are different layers to Jeremiah's case, and the movie tries to tackle topics of race and greed within the courtroom scenes, but not all of the complicated issues are given room to breathe. But, "The Burial" is about its old school charms, and it succeeds in providing just that.
"The Burial" is currently in limited release and begins streaming on Prime Video October 13.
| Movie title | The Burial |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2023 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Sometimes an old-fashioned crowd pleaser just works on the basis of its charms. |
