The tone for me was a big problem. I should say tones, not tone.

1. The visuals are all over the place tonally. Really gritty and dark at times, then out of nowhere chock a block with stylish camera shifts and polished effects. The type of movie that'll use shaky handheld in one scene, then five minutes later present you with slow motion special effects exquisitely framed. Felt like Dominik didn't want to make it dark, but didn't want to make it polished, so he just kinda winged it. Boy oh boy, did he miss Roger Deakins.

2. Same with the script's tone, really. Goes from nihilism to screwball in no time flat, goes from Mametian tough talk to political statement in no time flat, goes from moments of emotion to James Gandolfini making an anus joke in no time flat. Thus, the jokes never landed for me-- not one. And dark comedy is usually my bag. This just sounded like imitation Mamet minus the style.

3. I didn't have a problem with the overt political stuff... but Scott absolutely nailed that it makes very obvious proclamations without having anything to say. What's the statement? Americans like money? Coulda done that without the political stuff. Politicians are greedy liars? What's the point of telling it this way? It seems like it thinks it's being controversial and deep, when more or less every film noir has done these statements since the 1940s without the political clips.

4. The pacing is atrocious. This felt longer than Jesse James to me... which should say something. Jesse James felt very even keeled and smooth with its drawn out demeanor. This just sags. And again, "talky" movies are ABSOLUTELY my bag (Cosmopolis and Seven Psychopaths are two of my favorites this year). But it's got to be going somewhere, and it has to have a point, and it has to be properly paced.

The performances are all fine, especially Scoot McNairy, who has kind of ruled this year, and Ray Liotta, who is given very little to do but nails what he gets.

But this doesn't sniff Jesse James and has to be considered a massive disappointment considering the five year wait.

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