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A hero who uses his brain rather than superhero powers is a hard sell in the Marvel-world of today's cinema. It has been done well in the past, but the tenor of modern cinema is not calibrated to convey such subtle nuances.

This film, for example, presents Marshall as a cocky, sometimes abrasive figure (which he may indeed have been) at the expense of trying to capture the towering legal mind whose courtroom strategies and constitutional reasoning literally reconfigured American law. Admittedly, as I said, a tough, if not impossible task.

For Boseman's effort, then, an above average grade.

The revelation in this film was the performance of Kate Hudson, the pretty, perky Romcom blond daughter of Hollywood royalty, convincingly playing the role of confused, abused, fearful and perjurious victim in a case of alleged interracial rape. Raising the specter of yet another of Hollywood's more egregious sins -- typecasting. All praise to the CD who gave her this shot! I hope it leads to similar dramatic roles for Ms Hudson.

Given his acclaimed and varied career, I've always hesitated to acknowledge a persistent reservation about Patrick Stewart, but this performancehas finally liberated me to do so. In the great Anglo-Irish-Scots-Welsh tradition, Stewart is the latest in a long line of sugar-cured emoters. Like Richard Harris, Christopher Plummer and, at their glorious scenery-chewing worst, Burton and Olivier.

Any film with Bird (however young) carrying his alto, but not playing it is already a black mark. Blasphemy compounded by purportedly showing the Prez holding his axe like any other tenor player. Plot blah. Acting blah (especially the perpetually sneering jennifer jason-leigh).

Not in the same league as nashville, mash or even california split. (rip george segal, btw)