It's fairly conventional, but it remains consistently fascinating and entertaining throughout. Bryan Cranston is absolutely fantastic and disappears into this character - he's also backed by a great ensemble where everyone gets at least something to do. I particularly liked Helen Mirren (who could be viewed as the film's villain and is hilarious and menacing in doing so), John Goodman and Louis C.K. Also from a production design standpoint this is very strong as well. This should do well with Academy voters as it's basically a love letter to screenwriting. B+