Every single actor was excellent, and it really was a showcase of talent, not that the screenplay required much heavy lifting, but every single person just displayed their particular talent really well
Jason Bateman, just line after line of smarmy and very Bateman tailored lines, "fukk that guy, he said that, you said that"
Viola Davis: the first thing I remember really liking her in was in Blackhat, watching her here, in a similar styled role, yet obviously very different was captivating. Her and Damon's convo in the yard, was very much like watching two heavyweights perform at the highest level. I like her as an actress more than I like some of the movies she does, which I don't always see.
Chris Messina: just watched him in Celeste And Jesse Forever, great performance
Marlon Wayans: had to do a lot with less, quick scene, but I imagine for Marlon it was a major look/honor just to be apart of it
Chris Tucker: stole every scene, to the extent it could be stolen from anyone. "hell he talking 'bout, breathe through ya nose" Every line of his wasn't laugh out loud funny, but it was such a pleasure to watch his every scene. Almost verging on Smoky parody, but still in the role.
Damon: obviously gets the bigger speeches and laugh lines, but landed every single one of them. The German accent shyt, the "he'll have his hair all gelled up like an a$$hole, Rolex for sure", 'Does the Dali Lama have a grape colored porsche"
Affleck: watched a couple of lesser known Affleck movies this week, Changing Lanes (brilliant and underrated) and Bounce (pretty bad) and just watched him as an actor, he's so good and underrated, when he's in his lane. Killed this performance, had me cracking up line after line, just his mannerisms, snapping his fingers and moving his hands back and forth "the checks keep going going going" one of his signatures.
The audience didn't laugh much at any of the jokes, but I truly have this experience about every time I go to movies, I think people are just dumb. Critically, I would say the music is good, but lays it on way too thick, there's some shots that are bland, would have cut about 40% and used score. Appreciated the subtle nods to "Body Double" too, which came out the same year 1984? using a famous scene's score, and yeah it's light, and probably smoothes over a complicted story, but as pure cinema? it was just fun. Reminded me of older era of movies. Think this IS the kind of movie you go see in theaters. And they probably had that in mind, given their respective histories, and the movies obvious smoothness and inoffensiveness.
He had like one scene
