I absolutely love this movie.
It established Ryan Gosling as a comedic force in my mind, with his physical comedy standing out as a high point of the performance (the bathroom stall scene alone should’ve won him Best Actor).
Russell Crowe also does a great job as the straight man (though he does get a legendary spit-take in a cut-away), and Healey’s desperate search for meaning and purpose in his life/career is a heartbreaking backdrop for his character throughout the…
Did I love this movie?
Yes
Was I kinda drunk on Miller High Life, the Champagne of Beers when I watched it?
Also yes
Was there a solid 20+ minute period that was nearly incomprehensible? Yes. Was the score too loud in several spots so I lost chunks of dialogue? Yes. Did I really enjoy it? Yes.
On a related note, it might be time to talk to Nolan about making his films less dense. Just as post-2010 comedy had to learn that random ≠ funny, he may need to learn that confusing ≠ interesting.
