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Writing in Variety, Todd McCarthy said the cast ensemble " could not be better "; he praised Spacey's " handling of innuendo, subtle sarcasm and blunt talk " and the way he imbued Lester with " genuine feeling ".
Janet Maslin in The New York Times said Spacey was at his " wittiest and most agile " to date, and Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times singled Spacey out for successfully portraying a man who " does reckless and foolish things who doesn't deceive himself ".
Kevin Jackson of Sight & Sound said Spacey impressed in ways distinct from his previous performances, the most satisfying aspect being his portrayal of " both sap and hero ".
Writing in Film Quarterly, Gary Hentzi praised the actors, but said that characters such as Carolyn and Col. Fitts were stereotypes.
Hentzi accused Mendes and Ball of identifying too readily with Jane and Ricky, saying the latter was their " fantasy figure "— a teenaged boy who's an absurdly wealthy artist able to " finance own projects ".
Hentzi said Angela was the most believable teenager, in particular with her " painfully familiar " attempts to " live up to an unworthy image of herself ".
Maslin agreed that some characters were unoriginal, but said their detailed characterizations made them memorable.
Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the actors coped " faultlessly " with what were difficult roles ; he called Spacey's performance " the energy that drives the film ", saying the actor commanded audience involvement despite Lester's not always being sympathetic.
" Against considerable odds, we do like characters ," Turan concluded.

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