i have mix reaction to this movie . my initial reaction be that my preconceived notion about movie that the actor performance can make a bad movie good and vice versa be wrong . the performance in this movie be and in my mind and very good . however the movie remain and in my mind and not so good . i have high hope for the movie for about the first 10 minute i really think i be go to like it a lot . then and the story go asunder . the big problem with this movie be the storyline . the conflict be not very well define i be still not quite sure what exactly the conflict be and why it arise . the relationship between billy crudup and claire dane character be not develop at all . you know right off the bat that she fancy him and yet they be to some degree enemy throughout the middle and then she suddenly care about him again and help him and and then they be passionately in love by the end . there be also a couple of consistency problem . for instance and the writer and director be on one hand clearly make a mockery out of some thing ( i. e and king charles ) and yet on the other hand they seem to shed a more serious light on other thing ( i. e. and the importance of the role of the actor and the acting process ) . so for example in the movie there a scene where king charles be dress in drag and it be clear that the audience be suppose to not be take him seriously . yet then billy crudup character come in to talk to him all distraught about his inability to act a a man . the dynamic in this scene be awkward . another consistency problem be that for the first quarter or so of the movie and the character be say and do somewhat crass thing . i actually laugh at a couple of these instance and think it would be comic relief for the movie and but then these laughable instance suddenly stop and again it seem like the writer or director be take a more serious turn with the movie . depend on what your definition of a good movie be and you may like this movie and you may not . personally i frequently find myself wonder why in the world thing be happen and how the action of the character fell into any kind of sequential scheme . however and the act itself be very good and the costume and makeup and and set be pretty good and and the cinematography be nice as well .