All the Money in the World

Reshoots cost less than ransoms after Spacey getties the boot. Compound scandals aside, All the Money is nothing World-shattering, with straightforward storyline and clichéd hero straight from the espionage Wahl of fame. Plummer’s hastily rendered performance stands out in a sluggish film but it’s Williams who pays off the most.

The Ghost Writer

Polanski delivers another healthy Baby with this political thriller. McGregor is nuanced and empathetic as he investigates a brilliantly cryptic Brosnan. Supporting cast, though arbitrary, Hutton and Belushi, are excellent, and the entire piece has a ghostly sense of foreboding. Respectfully suspenseful, an altogether excellent ride, with a perfect ending.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

Krasinski directs scatter-brained male perspective on female perspective on minds of men. Equal parts disorienting and unsatisfying randomness and ingeniously edited intercut conversation montages. Performances are all-around satisfactory but not impressive with exception of MacGruber’s strange serious turn and Dominic Cooper’s brilliantly dark argument. Excellent monologues galore tied together poorly.