What PSH has pulled off here simply cannot be overpraised. First he accomplishes a perfect imitation- the voice, the gestures, the walk. Then, within this caricature, he delivers a startlingly complex and subtle performance. First he's the preening bon vivant, indulged by friends and lovers, intimately tied to the world of the rich and famous. Then during some of his self-absorbed monologues he becomes something else, genuinely penetrating on the subject of the human condition. Then you see how cynically he uses that ability to get what he wants. So much sincere emotion demonstrated in the service of lies. His cruelty is such that one feels indignation for the murderous sociopath who becomes his muse. But at the same time, his ambition to do something great is totally understandable, and the cost to his psyche so visibly demonstrated, that he remains a sympathetic character.
Catherine Keener plays Nelle as the perfect foil, warm and caring but so perceptive and cruelly honest. Clifton Collins Jr.'s Perry is mesmerizing, a vulnerable and sensitive and desperately yearning young man who knows he's no good. His confession is breathtaking, cold, devastating. Chris Cooper and Bruce Greenwood are also excellent in smaller roles.
In a film with acting this sublime, it would be easy top overlook the technical accomplishments of evocative cinematography and measured, confident editing. The rhythm of the film is slow, with spaces provided for the viewer to fully absorb what's happening, and the accumulated effect was such that I had a difficult time stopping myself from shaking as I left the theatre.
This is it, the real deal. It is difficult to imagine a more powerful film being released this year.
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