Carell, who also co-wrote the screenplay, makes
a smash starring appearance here after giving us scene - stealing performances in previous efforts like Bruce Almighty and Anchorman.
No one at the end of 1917 was debating whether the directing debut of John Ford or the first
appearance of Vittorio de Sica augured longer careers to come (in fact, both would be making films for the next five - plus decades) or weighing the industry impact of Mary Pickford's box - office
smash Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm or (to the point of my own research) speculating about the future of slapstick
star Roscoe «Fatty» Arbuckle's new sidekick, a vaudeville refugee named Buster Keaton.