This aged pretty well. Having just read the book, it's nice to see verbatim dialogue lifted, mostly delivered well. Of course, this truncated the plot significantly. I feel like the rhythm of the work is lost too, but this is a translation, so that's to be expected. I thought I'd find Sorkin-like dialogue actually, but this is more of a satire of the aesthetic and noir sensibility than leaning into the high competency of the character that would signal. They're staggering through life; certainly through their jobs.
Had the actors had a bit more chops and the screen time been increased to allow for some breathing time, this might have been a really great film. For one, Hillary Swank might have the best performance I've seen of her here, somehow. There's an excellent first person scene with our boy meeting the parents. It's got things going for it. I do wish it was a bit more pervasive. But I did just read the book, which is very well written, so.
Had the actors had a bit more chops and the screen time been increased to allow for some breathing time, this might have been a really great film. For one, Hillary Swank might have the best performance I've seen of her here, somehow. There's an excellent first person scene with our boy meeting the parents. It's got things going for it. I do wish it was a bit more pervasive. But I did just read the book, which is very well written, so.