This film makes a better analysis of the media than acclaimed films like "Network." The punch probably gets diffused because the film is a comedy of sorts.
I loved Dustin Hoffman, though his performances in "Rain Man" and "Midnight Cowboy" were close variations of this one. When he is on screen, you forget the director and the rest of the crew.
This is the second Frears film I have seen (the first was "Mary Reilly") and direction was not extraordinary in both. But as in the case of "Mary Reilly", Frears' obvious strength is in choosing great materials to film and working with good screenplay writers. The story has punch but it could have been better.
I loved Dustin Hoffman, though his performances in "Rain Man" and "Midnight Cowboy" were close variations of this one. When he is on screen, you forget the director and the rest of the crew.
This is the second Frears film I have seen (the first was "Mary Reilly") and direction was not extraordinary in both. But as in the case of "Mary Reilly", Frears' obvious strength is in choosing great materials to film and working with good screenplay writers. The story has punch but it could have been better.