☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roger Ebert gave the film three stars and said that, by and large, it works.
In the discussion (2)
- The review is introduced as a recovery after an earlier unfavorable Tommy Boy discussion.
- Ebert is reported as awarding three stars and concluding that the movie mostly works.
Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, and George Clooney were considered for Clayton; Sean Connery was the backup for Brill, prompting a role-swap discussion with The Rock.
In the discussion (5)
- Tom Cruise reportedly signed on before leaving for Eyes Wide Shut.
- Mel Gibson and George Clooney are reported as considered for Clayton.
- Will Smith is reported to have chosen the film partly to work with Gene Hackman and to have taken less money.
- Sean Connery is reported as the backup choice for Brill.
- The panel considers swapping Hackman and Connery between Enemy of the State and The Rock, but prefers the released casting.
The panel proposes Lisa Bonet in larger roles and notes that the unusually deep cast could be scrambled into many parts.
In the discussion (3)
- One proposal replaces Jason Robards with Lisa Bonet to give the opening and its consequences different weight.
- Another proposal makes Lisa Bonet the pursued lead, gives Will Smith her smaller role, and recasts the spouse.
- The panel argues that Jason Lee, Hackman, Voight, Jack Black, and others could trade several roles while remaining entertaining, but ultimately approves the released casting.
Uncredited writers, NSA noncooperation, the failed NEC handheld, and the date assigned to Reynolds are reported.
In the discussion (4)
- Aaron Sorkin, Henry Bean, and Tony Gilroy are reported as performing uncredited script rewrites.
- The NSA is reported as refusing to cooperate with the production.
- The handheld game device is identified as the failed NEC TurboExpress.
- Reynolds’ in-film birthday is reported as September 11, 1940, the date of an early remote computer demonstration over a phone line.
The panel challenges the murder premise, character decisions, impossible movement and imaging, repeated fires, pet-driven plotting, and the rapid marital reconciliation.
In the discussion (8)
- Reynolds’ decision to attend and order the public murder of a sitting congressman merely to advance surveillance legislation and his career is judged absurd.
- The coincidence of a wildlife camera capturing the murder, followed by Jason Lee reviewing the footage, is criticized as flimsy.
- Clayton behaves too aggressively in the first mafia meeting and appears implausibly bad at labor lawyering.
- Barry Pepper nearly matching a bicycle on foot and Clayton outrunning a Camaro are criticized as impossible human speed.
- Clayton intentionally setting himself on fire in a closet and escaping without major burns is challenged.
- The lingerie-store security footage being rotated and enhanced in three dimensions is called the most implausible technology in the film.
- The cat and dog are judged to consume too much plot attention.
- Carla’s quick reconciliation with Clayton, despite his earlier affair and continued lies, is judged unconvincing.
The panel asks what Carla’s later conspiracy-board life would look like and what happened to Tom Sizemore between Heat and this film.
In the discussion (2)
- Would Carla become an early online conspiracy participant by 2020?
- What explains the striking change in Tom Sizemore between Heat and Enemy of the State?
Roger Ebert's review