I am not a Sean Penn fan, but, here, as the titular "madman" he deftly walks the tightrope between chewing the scenery, and sensitively portraying the inexplicable conflict and struggle one would have had keeping their demons at bay, if they were suffering from schizophrenia in the 19th century.

Mel Gibson, who has thankfully put many of his own personal demons behind him, portrays the professor, who pursues his own "white whale", that is, the seemingly impossible task of compiling every single word known to man at that time. How easy it is to take for granted, in a time where you can simply type a few letters into ones phone and be rewarded with a myriad of words and their definitions, that once we didn't even have ANY way to confirm the meaning or spelling or correct usage of a word. This is the task that James Murray took on, and that William Minor, in his battle to find a semblance of sanity aided him with.

Natalie Dormer shines as Eliza, the illiterate wife who now finds herself struggling to survive with her children, after her husband falls victim to Dr. Minor's madness. Yet, somehow she is able to transcend her hate and anger, see the humanity in the madman, and find forgiveness in her heart for his transgression.

Yes, the story unfolds slowly and deliberately, but, if you are a lover of words, and great acting, then, this one is worth the watch.