Review of The Conspirator (2011) by Stuart M — 07 Feb 2013

There's no point to this movie if you know the outcome. Unlike Lincoln where you know the outcome but can still find the process thrilling, here the process is dull and repetitive. The sense of outrage they are going for by showing the complete process of a rigged trial just feels too melodramatic.

They aren't helped by a string of poor or uninterested performances. James McAvoy is fine as the lead, but everyone else is just kinda... there. Justin Long leads the list of actors who just feel out of place in a period drama while Kevin Kline, Colm Meaney, and Danny Huston never give a spark of honest emotion.

Kline in particular takes a role that clearly calls for an aggressive performance and comes across as positively bored. A sad result for what promised to be an interesting film.