Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth), a book editor for the publishing company Scribner's, agrees to become the editor of author Thomas Wolfe's (Jude Law) books. They become good friends, but their relationship does get a bit rocky. The more they spend time together, the more it damages the relationship between Max and his wife (Laura Linney), and Thomas and his patron (Nicole Kidman). Max also works as an editor for F. Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce) and Ernest Hemingway (Dominic West).

      Colin Firth and Jude Law both give solid performances, but they're undermined by a clunky, lethargic and stilted screenplay by John Logan. Not a single scenes truly comes to life which is a disappointment because the crux of the film lies on the bond between Max and Thomas. You recognize that they're friends, but you don't feel their connection or care about their friendship for that matter. Logan fails to adequately explore the dysfunctional family like of Max, and to show delve deeper into the suffering of Max's wife. It seems like Max's wife and Thomas' patron are merely there as cardboard characters to move the plot forward; their characters don't feel lived-in because of the weak screenplay. There are, though, brief moments of witty comic relief, but they're far and few between. Much of the film feels flat like a bad made-for-TV movie that lacks an emotional hook. Once a gun shows up later in the second act, Genius's plot becomes even more uneven and lazy when it comes to going into darker places. More humanism (i.e. in last year's underrated Trumbo) would have elevated Genius to greater heights. made for a much more powerful and poignant film.

      On a positive note, the costume designs, set designs, lighting and desaturated colors all help to add some much-needed authenticity and richness. The dialogue doesn't feel stuffy, and the running time is, fortunately, under 2 hours, so at least Genius doesn't overstay its welcome. If ts screenplay were as lively, rich and authentic as its aesthetic qualities, Genius would have been much more powerful, memorable and poignant.