The Professor and the Madman

I could write much on the accolades this film deserves but will stick to the basics of why this film is great.

Acting across the board is spectacular. Penn and Gibson are in top form and have great chemistry. Coogan and Marsan are also in top form as usual. Ehle and Dormer do a terrific job in bringing that soft feminine touch much needed to balance out the relationships between the main characters.

The film has its emotional ups and downs while staying on point to tell the amazing story of how the most important English dictionary came to be. It is a testament to the difficulty and perseverance needed to accomplish such a Herculean task in defining the vast English language and the trials and tribulations endured to realize its completion.

The beauty of this film is in the storytelling of the relationship between the two main characters. The Scottich wordsmith and an American surgeon who suffers from mental illness.

In order to not divulge more about the narrative I will just end by stating this is a powerful film that will leave you feeling many emotions. A triumphant accomplishment! Time well spent.

I wanted to see this movie as soon as I heard about it. Yeah, I know, Im a bit of a word nerd. To find out that Penn and Gibson were going to star in it absolutely fascinated me. It does not disappoint. It is 2 hours long and yes, it is a bit slow, but this kind of movie can't be done in any other way and it is a story, I thought, had to be told. Penn is dynamite!! I love his acting style, where you can see his character's feelings from head to toe. He simply drew me in in every scene to the point where scenes without him in it paled in comparison. Im not much of a Mel Gibson fan, but enjoyed his performance. I thought he and Penn had great chemistry.

I haven't seen a movie this good for around 10 years. Truly unbelievable performances from Penn and Gibson. I was balling my eyes out from half way though. Thank god there are still film makers out there who understand the art form.

I wasn't thrilled about a biographical film story regarding a dictionary, but this one impressed me! Who would've though to know the history behind a dictionary?

Farhad Safinia makes his first full length feature film debut as writer and director, and nailed it. Produced by and also starring Mel Gibson - who was also great in his role, this film was directed exceptionally well, and the writing was good. I felt the screenplay was all over the place in a few areas, and the 124 min length a little too long for the story being told. I'm not a fan of slow paced films, but this one was just right. Casting was great, including Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer, but wow did Sean Penn give an Oscar-worthy performance in his role as Dr. Minor. Glad to see him back on the big screen. The score was perfect and the sets/costumes on point for the era.

This is by no means an action packed Hollywood blockbuster, but instead a historical biopic produced extremely well, and a must-see.

A well deserved 9/10 from me.

Who ar ethe wahoos who determine these things? Sean penn most certainly deserved a nod at the best actor categories supported or main. A great period piece of a unknown story of something every single one of us have used in our lives. Available on Netflix.