Two great performances

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2014)

It's 1958. Twenty-one is one of the most popular TV quiz shows. Producers Dan Enright (David Paymer) and Albert Freedman (Hank Azaria) run the show. Herb Stempel (John Turturro) from Queens is the reigning champ. However the sponsor doesn't feel that Stempel is a good TV personality. Columbia University instructor Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes) is fascinated with the show and tries out. Unscrupulous Enright and Freedman forces Stempel to lose on an easy question. Van Doren's TV success soon brings him out of the shadows of his renowned intellectual father. Stempel is frozen out and he goes to a grand jury. Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) is a congressional investigator who starts to investigate the game show.
This movie is anchored by two amazing performances. John Turturro is at his jittery sweaty best. He provides the nervous energy while Ralph Fiennes gives the human fragility. It's a great character study of two fascinating personalities.