Rating of
3/4
Astute and Consistent
Franz Patrick - wrote on 07/08/08
I truly wanted to like it more than I did because its dark tone is pitch-perfect, the script is stellar, and the characters are fascinating. In the end, I must admit, I needed that extra "oomph" that could make my heart race. I didn't get it so I was somewhat disappointed. The closest it came to was the last twenty minutes because everything seemed to be at stake. George Clooney continues his streak of making interesting political films. Tilda Swinton is smart and conniving and I loved her for it (I believe she didn't deserve an Oscar for her work here... but I do believe that she deserved an Oscar for her overall body of work in films after all these years!). Tom Wilkinson shines here because everything he said was executed with such grace and power. Watching him on screen was an absolute blast. Even though I had no idea what was happening most of the time, I stuck through it. It's definitely a smart-person film due to the concepts of legal battles that a casual moviegoer might not be aware of (including myself). Also, it likes to take its time; the real exciting moments lie in the things that were said and were not said. I did enjoy the film quite a bit so I'm recommending it. Maybe I didn't get to fully appreciate it even though I tried because I don't have enough experience about how the corporate world works.
