The movie was too long and sluggish in its pacing, but the most glaring element of it for me was how much finer an actor Anthony Hopkins is versus Ryan Gosling. The latter has some very annoying personal ticks in his acting style. Perhaps, he thinks this makes him seem real. It makes him look kind of stupid. How did this dope get through law school, let alone get a job with the LA DA's office? And nevermind his being courted by that high-powered law firm! That was completely unrealistic for a character like his with a annoyingly detached view of just about everything. When he did flare, it was seemingly out of character.<br /><br />Hopkins, meanwhile, sleepwalked through the part and outshone everyone. I guess the point of seeing the picture is to watch just how a fine veteran thespian can clean the floor with a comparative amateur opposite him. That was the real murder in this plot.