It's a shame to see all the fake 8, 9 and 10/10's, but it's also a shame to see such a low rating for this well put together biopic - considering it took five writers to put it together, and usually anything more than two writers becomes a disaster.
The two big issues for me was the slow pacing and long dragged out scenes, and Mackie's acting. The 120 min runtime felt like 3 hours. This film needed a faster pace and some cutting/editing to bring its runtime down to 90-100 mins. As for Mackie, his monotonic dialogue and bland persona was a disappointment. I'm not sure if he was playing the actual Bernard Garrett's personality, or if he was just bored. Either way, his character could've used some skip in his step. On the other hand, Samuel L. Jackson, as always, nailed his character. He was perfect for this role, and made this film that much more entertaining. All other casting and performances were on point.
The cinematography, score and timely 60's sets and wardrobe were excellent. This biopic's story/screenplay was actually very well put together, and had a nice flow in the way it was told. However, it was a little weighed down, and could've used some OMG moments.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it more that expected, and it's certainly undeserving of the current low rating. It's a solid and well deserved 9/10 from me. To see more of my 1000+ ratings and 800+ reviews, click on my username.
