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Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is a really sort of unique little comedy/drama. It really does try to have an even balance, starting off as a comedy but then turning into a dark comedy and eventually turning into some sort of drama. Paul Giamatti is absolutely fantastic, of course, changing natural from emotional note to emotional note in a way that makes other actors look like they're straining. Rosamund Pike is also really great, infusing such a natural warmth and presence to her character, completely opposite to what she does with her role in Gone Girl, which is for my money, the best performance of 2014. As a film overall, it could've easily come across as forced or fake, but it never actually does. It manages to make a great impact in what it does.

The main character was utterly loathsome. I didn't want to spend an hour watching him, let alone an overly-long 2 1/4 hours. There were no sympathetic characters; I hated the Paul Giamatti (an actor I hate in everything he does) character and hated all of the others for not hating him.Dustin Hoffman redeemed this movie, his moments in it were great. But there was absolutely nothing else.The movie was largely a plot less character study of an obnoxious character. The only real plot element was the death of the friend, Boogie. I'm not going to give away the way this element of plot is resolved, but I didn't get the point at all when I saw the movie, only when I googled it did I realize that the one scene with the airplane was resolving this plot element. Maybe if I'd read the novel it would have been more clear.Why are we supposed to love hateful destructive characters? I don't, and never have.

Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is a bitter blunt hockey-obsessed producer of a TV soap in Montreal. A cop confronts him having published a book accusing Barney of murder. Dustin Hoffman plays his ex-cop father Izzy. Then flashback to Rome 1974. He's smoking weed with writer friend Boogie (Scott Speedman), and marrying Clara Charnofsky (Rachelle Lefevre) after knocking her up. They lose the baby which turns out not to be his. Then she commits suicide. He's back to Montreal 1975 where he's scamming for his uncle. He meets his second wife (Minnie Driver). At the wedding reception, he starts to have regrets and meets Miriam Grant (Rosamund Pike). He runs off on his wedding night to profess his love for Miriam.With so many great directors having cameos, it seems like a step down to have director Richard J. Lewis who does mostly TV shows. The style isn't really a standout. The big name actors and their good work are the standouts in this movie. The material is dense, rambling, and original like an interesting life. However, I think a more laser focus would have made this movie much more compelling.

I think Mordecai Richler was the master of telling Jewish themed stories and this one translates to the movie screen effortlessly. The casting is fabulous , just as it was in the Apprenticeship, and the mise-en-scene is perfect. If you want to be thoroughly entertained by every character in the film and have your intellect tickled by the nuances and humour of the Jewish psyche then go no further than this movie. I've seen it twice now and could watch it a dozen times more. There is not a sub par performance by any of the actors and although Paul Giamatti is the centrepiece, he is just one of a fantastic ensemble. The direction is absolutely pitch perfect and I don't think I've ever enjoyed a movie more. It's not fair.. Rosamund Pike is stunningly beautiful and is a wonderful actress, why does God not spread the qualities around more evenly? What, with her in this movie and Virginia Madsen in Sideways I think I have seen all of the actresses I ever need to.bravo! BillC