Oh Scott - you have the greatest taste in movies! I could watch this one a thousand times. So much character depth and dimension, so much brooding under the surface in every single scene. I was always curious what Gilroy's first burst of inspiration was for MC, knowing he's a character-driven guy -- was it the law firm fixer, outsider, hovering in limbo between lawyer and gangster; or was it the old lawyer who got so damaged by his years of defending scum that he just popped his cap and started speaking the truth (and what's unfiltered truth to some is insanity to others). I heard Gilroy say in an interview it was the former. Two amazing characters, either of which are worthy of a movie.

I love 'em both but have a special affection for Tony!

I would have guessed it was the former character -- the law firm's fixer -- as that's a character (and occupation) we haven't seen on the screen before. MC is one of the richest characters created for film and there's something incredibly timely about him, too. I like Gilroy's dialogue much better than Sorkin's, as Gilroy's feels real and Sorkin's has such a razzle-dazzle 'em quality. MC is also the only script I've read that is much better as a script than a finished film. And the film was great, so you can imagine how exceptional the script is. It brought things together and made links in a clearer way than the film, so I felt I got it better.