Jack Nicholson - Only 15 minutes of screen time, but he owns the whole movie. The ultimate "doing a lot with a little."

This is what movies were meant to be not the horrible shit we see now

Nicholson's master class on acting.

One of the best actors of our generation Jack!!!

Jacks voice can literally be felt

People can say what they want about Cruise but in this movie he held his own with one of Greatest actors of all time!!

Nicholson is phenomenal in this scene

I think Jack Nicholson's performance in this movie is every bit as scary as Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector.

In my opinion, this scene is better than the ,,You can't handle the truth" scene because here, Jack Nicholson displays an entire range of emotions that are perfectly acted. He starts playful, light, even cracking jokes and as the scene progresses, he completely transforms, being imposing and menacing. Although everyone that was at the table knew the truth, he doesn't flinch,  he is in control, it's, basically, a masterclass in composure and the way he is acting with his face, just top class performance.

This scene was a clever turning point for Cruise's character.  Upto this point, Kaffee was still operating as he had before... as the fast-dealing negotiator who uses bad P.R. as leverage to get his clients sweetheart deals in exchange for not dragging out sensitive or potentially tarnishing cases in public view. So when he says, "Lets GO," he means, "This is not the path of least resistance that secures us the easy win... abandon this line of investigation before it complicates matters." However, when Jessup takes the conversation to a hostile place at the very end, Kaffee suddenly realizes the gravity of what happened... Jessup not only revealed a weakness (his need to feel respected and the irrational way he can lose control over his emotions when disrespected), but he also gave away his sadistic side, convincing Kaffee not only that he's capable of ordering another soldier's harm but also that he almost certainly DID order the Code Red. Jessup smirked at Kaffee with that look that says, "I DID it, mother fcker... and there's nothing you can do about it." In that moment, Kaffee went from being an effective and cooperative cog in the legal machinery to someone who had just stumbled upon a terrifying secret and now had to follow that thread wherever it leads. It's a stellar bit of writing that can accomplish all of that in a single scene. Kudos to Sorkin for putting in work here.

When this movie came out I was about Tom's age and now I'm about Jack's age  !!

The tension in this scene comes through just as much as it did the first time I watched this movie decades ago. World class performance by Jack Nicholson. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

This scene was insane. Days and times gone bye.

The way this scene and the courtroom scene complement each other is 10/10.  This interaction was the most important part of the pre-trial prep.  It sealed the Jessup’s fate and he was too arrogant to see it coming.

I love that subtle shift in Jack’s face in 5:27 when he goes from heated and firm to calm (albeit still sarcastic and hostile)

The 90s were 🔥.  We were so dam spoiled when it came to movies. Jack was an absolute monster in this scene.

Cruise is never given enough credit for his early career roles.

So much done in tone, eyes, and great camera work.

Just rewatched this and realized this foreshadows the famous courtroom breakdown of Jessup. Here, Jessup was caught by a subtle trap laid by Danny (he just realized he didn't have a transfer order). And just like in the courtroom, Jessup responded to his panic by directing hostility towards Danny, hoping to intimidate him. Danny remembered this and used this against him at the final scene of the movie.

when two good looking sheeps face a wise Lion.


Respect.