Trumbo sails smoothly into Oscar season, with a stunning performance by Bryan Cranston carrying a somewhat disconnected narrative.

Trumbo is a streamlined study in brilliant acting, direction, and storytelling. John McNamara, tasked with writing a screenplay about one of Hollywood’s most iconic screenwriters, proved himself more than up for the challenge.

The Jay Roach-directed movie is going to get a lot of praise; indeed, leaving the theater, I heard nothing but raving excitement for Trumbo. Clearly, this movie has all the ingredients necessary to please hardcore, knowledgeable movie fans like the media journalists lining up for the early-morning press screening: A look at the inner workings of Hollywood, plenty of nods to iconic movies and artists, and a solid cast of actors from both the drama and comedy sectors.

And, really, what’s not to like about Trumbo? Bryan Cranston is already garnering Oscar buzz for his truly mind-blowing turn as the eccentric, impassioned screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. John Goodman, Louis C.K. and Dean O’Gorman delivered standout performances, while Diane Lane, in particular, shone as Trumbo’s wife. Elle Fanning played his fierce and sympathetic daughter, and Helen Mirren was deliciously snarky as celebrity journalist Hedda Hopper.

Trumbo will tickle both movie aficionados and the Academy, because this is their story. The movie pulls back the curtain to reveal the dark history of the traditionally elusive Hollywood industry, taking us back to the Cold War and revealing what happened to the artists suspected of communist activity. The poor geniuses were blacklisted, in Trumbo’s case even imprisoned, for crimes they did not commit.

Out of a job and forced to move out of his fancy ranch and into a (still swanky) townhouse, Dalton Trumbo did the impossible and managed — seemingly by sheer, unadulterated talent alone, never missing a deadline or delivering a less than mind-blowing product — to fool the industry into accepting his screenplays anyway. He won two Academy Awards for scripts he wrote under pseudonyms. He opened the door for his old friends and made sure they continued to live comfortably, if unsung, on the edge of the exuberant luxuries of Hollywood.

And, at last, Trumbo was granted the glory he had been denied. Seeing his name in the credits of Spartacus (hilariously re-created by O’Gorman’s Kirk Douglas) finally brought him peace, and validated all his superhuman struggles. He never seemed to have a problem writing brilliant, award-worthy scripts; he didn’t once encounter an industry professional who did not appreciate his talent. The way he found himself out of a job was unfair, sure, but in the context of today’s sky-high unemployment rate, it was hard to feel too sympathetic for his plight.

Related: Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren talk Hollywood blacklisting, the legacy of Dalton Trumbo

But, in the interest of fairness: As I watched this movie, and felt the line, “Scores of people were affected” ring hollowly in my ears, I was aware that perhaps coming straight out of screenings for Suffragette and Beasts of No Nation had put me in the wrong mindset to fully appreciate a behind-the-scenes look at the first-world-problems of a small number of Hollywood big-shots.

Even with that in mind though, the movie still felt like an exercise in navel-gazing, its narrative strictly focusing on the elite, with only one non-Hollywood character (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Virgil Brooks) given any significant screen time. It was only at the very end that the movie acknowledged the fact that the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) targeted not only the rich and famous, but “ordinary” people like teachers and radio presenters.

In terms of the narrative, the tension was always tempered by the inevitability of Trumbo’s success. He was never anything but talented and driven, and there wasn’t any real doubt that he’d find work — indeed, even blacklisted, he quickly found himself with more work than he could handle. You’d think Hollywood would have more than one talented, unemployed writer, but according to Kirk Douglas, apparently no one but Trumbo would cut it.

Most of Trumbo’s interactions were ultimately inconsequential; the characters around him existed in closed loops, and it felt like they were awarded screen time not because of story relevance, but because of the fame or pedigree of the actor. Helen Mirren and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s characters could have been lifted out of the movie without any real consequence, while Louis C.K. and Alan Tudyk’s characters (while important for Trumbo’s journey) felt like they sort of lingered on the edge of the narrative, only real when Trumbo needed them to be.

Where the film shone was the brilliant relationship between Trumbo and his family. Both his daughter (Fanning) and wife (Lane) were strong players with real drive and agency, whose parallel storylines interweaved seamlessly with Cranston’s Trumbo.

For me, the film was at its strongest when it stopped trying to be a social commentary, and really let itself indulge in the glory (and crookedness) of Hollywood. Allowing recognizable figures like Kirk Douglas and John Wayne (David James Elliott) to develop layered personalities, and giving us a glimpse at how business-oriented the industry really is, was truly fascinating. A standout scene with John Goodman’s Frank King is sure to thrill his fanbase, and subtle, nuanced performances by the entire cast makes Trumbo a solid hit.

Many have noted that Trumbo was made for the Academy, not for us, and perhaps that’s true. If you’re interested in the Hollywood industry, and looking for a gripping re-telling of its history, this movie will please and delight you. Bryan Cranston’s inevitable awards sweep will be wholly deserved.

Rating: B

‘Trumbo’ premieres on November 6

Check out the trailer for the movie below: