the irony is that this film 's cast is uniformly superb ; their performances could have -- should have -- been allowed to stand on their own . 
(ROOT (S (S (NP (DT the) (NN irony)) (VP (VBZ is) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (NP (DT this) (NN film) (POS 's)) (NN cast)) (VP (VBZ is) (ADJP (RB uniformly) (JJ superb))))))) (, ;) (S (NP (PRP$ their) (NNS performances)) (VP (MD could) (VP (VP (VB have)) (, --) (VP (MD should) (VP (VB have))) (, --) (VP (VBN been) (VP (VBN allowed) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB stand) (PP (IN on) (NP (PRP$ their) (JJ own))))))))))) (. .)))
(ROOT (S (S (NP (DT ) (NN )) (VP (VBZ ) (SBAR (IN ) (S (NP (NP (DT ) (NN ) (POS )) (NN )) (VP (VBZ ) (ADJP (RB ) (JJ ))))))) (, ) (S (NP (PRP$ ) (NNS )) (VP (MD ) (VP (VP (VB )) (, ) (VP (MD ) (VP (VB ))) (, ) (VP (VBN ) (VP (VBN ) (S (VP (TO ) (VP (VB ) (PP (IN ) (NP (PRP$ ) (JJ ))))))))))) (. )))