This is a rather underwhelming movie given the quality of the cast. For a start, it's way too long for the story, I was checking the time every 10 minutes after the 1 1/2 hour mark - not a good sign! I don't know why directors opt for comedy to convey this kind of dark story - it's inappropriate and as a result very few of the gags hit the mark. The underlying plot, set to the backdrop of 1930's Europe, is vaguely plausible but never seems to gain traction. Christian Bale in particular keeps things interesting, but it's hard going. If this story had been told 'straight', a great movie would have resulted.