That is not to say that he doesn't achieve moments of emotional expansion or sensuous refinement, but only that they emerge from a straitened backdrop.
The answer is self-evident as the film moves along, achieving moments of remarkable candor.
But in between, "The Godfadduh Workout" achieves genuinely crowd-pleasing moments of what can only be called family entertainment.
And the production achieves moments of eloquent, silent tableau, as when Bunce, on his knees, is hand fed by William.
Bert Bernardi has a disarming quality as Matt, achieving moments of real poignancy as the victim of his parents' incessant bickering.
Given that its subjects are all extraordinarily skillful politicians, this film does achieve moments of remarkable candor.
At times they achieve moments of strange, shared peace, of respite from the complications of ambition and the frictions of the workaday world.
Ms. Finley paints these pictures with a loose brush and not too much fuss, and she achieves moments of attractive sensuality.
To be sure, "The Book Thief" attempts and achieves great final moments of tear-jerking sentiment.
She achieved transcendent moments in the haunting classic "Tenting on the Old Campground" and displayed her irrepressible humor in "The Ivy Green."