Counsel on De Fence: A courtroom mess that's mostly just a shrug

If you have twenty minutes to burn and a weird itch to see how they used to do legal dramas before everyone started taking themselves way too seriously, Counsel on De Fence might do the trick. It’s definitely not for anyone looking for a tight plot or logic that holds up under even the mildest pressure.

Actually, if you’re a fan of movies that feel like a group of friends just showed up on a set and decided to make it up as they went, you’ll probably find this mildly charming. For everyone else? It’s a bit of a slog. It just kind of happens.

Harry Tenbrook plays the lawyer, and he’s got this frantic, sweaty energy that makes you wonder if he’s actually worried about the case or just forgot his lines. The whole poisoning premise is handled with all the nuance of a sledgehammer. Watching the courtroom scenes is like watching a school play where someone forgot their cue but kept walking anyway.

There is this one moment where a witness takes the stand and the camera just lingers on his face for way too long. It’s almost uncomfortable. You start to wonder if the projectionist fell asleep or if they just didn't have enough film to cut away to a reaction shot. It’s funny in a way I don’t think the filmmakers intended. 🙄

I couldn't help but compare the pacing here to something like Shiver My Timbers. Both movies have that same 'let’s just get through this scene' vibe that permeates the whole thing. It lacks the sharp, punchy rhythm of better shorts from that era.

The dialogue? Man, it’s a chore. It feels like every line was written on the back of a napkin five minutes before shooting. There’s no flow. Just sentences bumping into each other until the scene ends.

Some random notes I scribbled:

• The courtroom decor looks like it was scavenged from a garage sale.
• The defendant barely looks like she cares that she might be going to jail for a long time.
• Harry Tenbrook’s suit looks like it’s two sizes too big, which actually fits the character pretty well.

Look, it’s not a good movie. But it’s not an offensive one either. It’s just... there. It’s a relic. If you’re bored, go for it. If you’re looking for something that makes you think, you’re looking in the wrong place. 🤷‍♂️

I’ve seen weirder things in The Big Charade, but at least that one had a bit more personality. This one feels like it’s waiting for the audience to leave so it can go home.