Nuremberg

Written for the screen and directed by James Vanderbilt, once known for Zodiac and most recently for Scream, Nuremberg is burdened by the past, informed by the present, and not wholly committed to either. This uneven tone, between what it hopes to be and what it is, runs through not just the film but also its performances.

Russell Crowe is rather wittily cast as the portly, pompous Reichsmarschall Göring; it's the best he's been for a long time, a sly and cunning manipulator playing psychological cat-and-mouse with the Americans. But there is a deeply silly performance from Rami Malek as Kelley: an eye-rolling, enigmatic-smiling, scenery-nibbling hamfest which makes it look as if Malek is auditioning for the role of Hitler in The Producers.