Capsule Film Review: Denial (2016)

2016 British courtroom drama Denial recreates Irving vs. Penguin Books Ltd., one of the most famous trials in 1990s Britain in which American historian Deborah Lipstadt (played by Rachel Weisz) was sued for libel by David Irving (played by Timothy Spall), world’s most infamous Holocaust denier. Although based on Lipstadt’s own book, the real protagonists are members of her legal team, mainly experienced lawyer Richard Rampton (played by Tom Wilkinson). David Hare, the author of screenplay, tries very hard to make legal complexities of the case approachable to audience and, at times, even tries to deal with some broader contemporary issues, like freedom of speech. Those efforts aren’t always successful and Denial can’t escape some of its limits, mainly the predictability of its ending. Film is, on the other hand, capably directed by Mick Jackson and well-acted, especially in brief courtroom scenes in which Rampton shreds Irving and his claims to pieces.

RATING: 5/10