Rooney imbues the role with a lot of subtlety and never overplays it. The other leads are strong as well. The film's major flaw is that it's rather slow to get going... the first hour has some fine character building, but is rather skim on plot development. Too much time is spent establishing the relationship with Foster. The meat of the story feels rushed, especially compared to the languid pace of the preceding hour. However, that final act is gripping, and heavy with cynicism and melancholy.