The are three performances that stand out:
- Forest Whitaker gives the best one of his career playing the title character. His is also a very well-developed character.
- James McAvoy gives an excellent one as the advisor, though his character is not very fresh... tis been done before.
- Kerry Washington is both a desirable and very capable actor, and there isn't a lack of those two qualities here.
The movie is very well-made, complete with quality production design and an interesting story.