Review of Genius (2016) by Douglas B — 02 May 2017

Much, much better than the bulk of film critics would have you believe. It's a very literate movie requiring some knowledge of the world of writers and publishers. Colin Firth once again nails his role as the pre-eminent fiction editor for F.

Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe and others. Jude Law gives a highly engaging, way-out-there performance as Wolfe whose career Perkins espouses so strongly. Laura Linney and Nicole Kidman deliver noteworthy performances as the women behind Perkins and Wolfe, respectively, although the script and direction appear to exaggerate the excesses of character found in Aline Bernstein as portrayed by Kidman.

The film captures the period beautifully, what it was like to be in the publishing trade in the halycon years of New York in the 20s and 30s. Highly watchable and gripping.