• The film’s strengths reside in Sorkin’s scorching screenplay (it’s based on his play) and the actors who are more than up for the challenge
  • The depth isn’t there on a grander more ambitious scale but there’s an intelligent battle of two versions of masculinity put on here by cruise and Nicholson
  • The film is impossible to imagine without the 4 scenes with Oscar nominee for supporting actor Jack Nicholson—he’s more than scene stealing here- he’s movie-stealing and gets the best lines and knocks them out of part. It’s also extremely satisfying to see jack, always anti-establishment, play THE establishment here.
  • Cruise is superb as well (there’s a very broad edges in the screenplay that let him down like the “galactically stupid” line/rant)- cocky and intelligent—the supporting cast beyond the two leads is superb—its an achievement for moore, bacon, kiefer Sutherland, and JT Walsh amongst others
  • Sorkin wasn’t nominated for this somehow
  • Shot by Robert Richardson— wonderful opening with the routine of the marines title sequences
  • Predictable but entertaining and well executed
  • Reiner’s achievement is minor which is what keeps it out of the top 10 but the performances and writing make it more than a simple recommend
  • Recommend/ Highly Recommend border